Senior Celebration Day: Celebrating the Class of 2023

FM’s very own Class of 2023 celebrated the beginning of their final year of high school on September 16, 2022, otherwise known as Senior Celebration Day. This day was created so that high school seniors could gather more information on post-high school plans and on handling the excitement and nerve-wracking aspects of living on your own for the first time. 

The special day began in the auditorium, where Ms. Green introduced the Class of 2023 to the events that would follow, including the guest speakers that had volunteered their time to help high school seniors prepare for the next chapter of their life. The day started with a series of prizes, which were randomly raffled off to members of the senior class. This helped get everyone excited for a day that was dedicated to their future. 

Seniors were given their individualized schedules, which included six seminars along with a class photo and a picnic in the middle of the day. Two of the seminars were led by students’ guidance counselors and were intended to teach students on how to fill out the Common Application, as well as demonstrate the benefits of using Scoir, a college search engine, to organize your college list and activities. 

There were also Deans of Admissions from several New York colleges who led Q&As intended to answer students’ questions. The representatives were from Syracuse University, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, and St. John Fisher University. They gave helpful advice on the different methods for applying to college, submitting standardized test scores, and gave insight to what admissions officers keep in mind when selecting applicants. This was a great way to obtain useful information directly from the source!

Mr. Muench, a beloved retired social studies teacher from FM, was one of the many guest speakers during Senior Celebration Day. He spoke in the auditorium about seizing the opportunities offered in your last year of high school and maintaining close relationships with fellow peers. His talk emphasized the importance of not glancing over your senior year while figuring out where you will spend the next few years of your life.

There was also a “Financial Fitness” seminar led by Mr. Gangloff and Mr. McGuigan, who teach business and economics courses, respectively. The discussion covered key topics such as credit cards, saving and investing, student loans, and other useful concepts for managing your finances as a young adult. This seminar was extremely applicable to any senior, no matter their circumstances after high school. 

FM’s mental health advisor, Mr. DeSantis, along with a Niagara University graduate and a current Syracuse University student, led an interactive discussion regarding the transition to life after high school. These mental health experts mentioned the importance of using the resources offered at your potential college or university. They also covered healthy and unhealthy ways of dealing with stress to keep in mind while adapting to a new phase in your life. 

Senior Celebration Day was a huge success as students were provided insight on the different aspects of life after graduating from Fayetteville-Manlius High School.