
On Aug. 15, 2025, Foothill Technology High School’s (Foothill Tech) class of 2026 woke to blaring alarms and dark skies for the annual Senior Sunrise tradition at Pierpont “Schoolhouse” Beach in Ventura, Calif. The event celebrated the dawn of the final chapter in their high school career with their fellow Dragons.
Dragons arrived as early as 5:30 a.m. to find their classmates congregating along the shoreline, rushing into the water or beginning to set up chairs and blankets on the sand. This ceremonial start to senior year brought out mixed emotions and memories from the Dragons and allowed them to come together for this much anticipated tradition.
Despite the early morning, Dragons kept their energy up as they waited for the sunrise. More seniors arrived in force as the darkness lifted and students readily captured the moment in pictures and with their friends, while also considering what this event meant now that they had reached this milestone.

To many, senior year and events like this facilitate a sense of community, such as Donovan Yalinkatian ‘26 who said, “Being able to have [this] experience with all these people that you’ve met through … your whole school career [lets you] see the beginning and end all together … I think that’s a beautiful start.”
The event also sparked memories the class had made together as early as freshman year or beyond. Mia Baciagalupi ‘26 stated, “As a freshman, I should have been … [less] shy about making friends. And then now in senior year … I just want to … continue making more friends and … see everyone graduate this year.”
As the Dragons gazed towards the eastern sky, the coveted sunrise remained shrouded in a layer of fog, but the class of 2026’s hopes for their final school year were not dimmed. Camille Richards ‘26 said, “I think I feel excited and sad, but I definitely wish we could see the sun,” while Finn Alleman ‘26 stated, “It’s kinda gray, but senior year’s gonna be litty.”

Despite the disappointing weather, the class of 2026 started to look forward to their final year of high school and offered advice for those just starting their high school journey. Richards stated, “Find your group, do well in your classes and definitely go to all the events because you won’t regret it.”
With the imminent school day on its way, the Dragons said their goodbyes with many echoing Yalinkatian’s words: “Cherish every moment … You never understand what that means until you’re at the very end where you’re done with all your moments.” For these Dragons, though the year is just beginning, Senior Sunrise set the precedent for future bonding opportunities and the ever growing connection between the class of 2026.