The seniors capped off their final days of school with a week full of GA traditions before the countdown to graduation on May 14. For many, this was a long-awaited moment as they finally reached the end of their grade school journey.
The Class of 2024 has reached the end of their journey at Germantown Academy, a tremendous accomplishment for students who have both been ‘lifers’ at GA, and for some who have joined as recently as junior year. Many have seen the ups and downs of school through the pandemic, a switch to normalcy, and a revival of traditions as they mark the end of their senior year and commence the new chapter of their lives.
The week of April 29 was packed with various days unique to GA. On Tuesday, the seniors enjoyed shirt signing day, where students wore white polos and collected signatures from peers, friends and teachers.
By the time Lucy Fassler ’24 left school at 3 p.m, her polo was peppered with names of fellow students and teachers. “It was great, cutesy and everyone loved it. I’m so happy I got to share the day with my 141 best friends,” Fassler said.
The following day, May 1, was college shirt day and the official deadline for most college enrollments. Seniors came to school repping the college they planned to attend in the fall on t-shirts and sweatshirts. Many shared the same school’s merchandise like Penn State and Lehigh, to name a few.
“It was a surreal but very happy day. Getting to see people know their next destinations and be proud of themselves was a great feeling,” Kayla Mullen ’24 said. “It was so nice to celebrate each other and soak up some fun moments with the class before we leave.”
Finally, on Friday, the seniors started the day early with “senior sunrise” at Carey Stadium. Students brought blankets and snacks and enjoyed the early-morning sunrise with friends before the House Olympics later that day. Though this is not a typical annual GA tradition, the seniors informally organized it, bringing the grade together one last time before June 14. While at various other schools, this event typically takes place at the beginning of the school year, perhaps an end-of-year sunrise will have a place to stay at GA in years to come.
“It was the last time the whole senior class was together before graduation, which was kind of a sad realization.” Ajeet Bagga ’24 said. “Having our last official day be House Olympics was great though as it was an amazing way for us to come together in a fun and memorable way.”
The next time the seniors will be together again is June 14, which is graduation. Additionally, between their final week and June 3, they will be working on their individual senior projects.