As the school year winds down and the summer heat rises, the class of 2023 is preparing their goodbyes and enjoying their final moments as high schoolers. Over these past 4 years here, our class has gone through ups and downs to achieve our cap and gown. With Covid-19, the death of a beloved teacher and coach, and plenty of other bumps in our road, we persevered through the turbulence and ended up at the light at the end of the tunnel. Through all the memories, let’s talk to a few seniors and look back at the best parts of our career.

Before we talk about the best memories, I got to ask some seniors about their memories they’ll continue to keep about Cathedral. Natalia Cortese talked to me about the community of Cathedral, saying that the thing she’ll miss the most is “coming to school everyday and seeing people in my classes that I don’t really get the chance to see outside of school. I feel like those friendships are the ones I am going to miss the most, especially since I get to see them every other day.” Natalia says that these relationships are deeper because, “I get to know these people and laugh with them over the school year and feel like I know another person I can talk to.” Not only are the relationships we’ve built over these years important, but the teachers at Cathedral that supported us on this journey. “Teachers like Mr. Caro, Mr. Filippone, the ones that made class feel more like a place I want to be rather than just another Red 1 class. Those are the things I’m gonna miss the most.”

Omid Moussavian, another senior, talked to me about his love for the comradery at Cathedral. “My favorite memories at cathedral were the things we did outside of school. The football games were such a fun thing for all the seniors to lead, with the DJ setup and the games that were always fun to watch.” Omid said later that he got to really connect with everybody during these times. “I feel like I really got to know everybody because we were all just having fun and not worrying about anything.”

Looking at some of the best memories, a majority of seniors will tell you about Kairos, Prom, and the actual lead up to May 27th; Graduation Day. Let’s take a look into the deeper meaning behind these trips. Kairos was an incredible experience for every senior, whether you grew in your faith or relationship with friends. Palomar Christian Conference Center took about 2 hours on a bus ride, where you got to prepare yourself for this 3 day trip with nothing but nature and classmates. Throughout these days, you get to really know your faith and know God. You play fun games, act out movies, go to church, and enjoy what God has given you. You meet new friends with people you’d never talked to before, and leave that mountain with stronger friendships than you’d ever imagine. The whole experience was personally beautiful, and it’s something that really makes me appreciate the things Cathedral does for its seniors.

Prom was one of the more fun nights as a senior. This year’s prom was located at the Birch Aquarium in La Jolla. The beautiful view that surrounds the outside portions allow for incredible views of the Pacific Ocean and calm beaches. Inside of the actual aquarium was incredible too, with plenty of exhibits of rare, beautiful fish at every corner. The dance was one to remember as well, with every senior talking with each other and dancing the whole night we were all there. Talking with everyone around campus, they said it was the best dance they’ve been to at Cathedral.

Finally, the ‘Last Call’ for every senior that finished off everybody’s high school career; Graduation Day. Every senior has been building up to this day, with the celebration having its second year inside Manchester Stadium. The senior pranks and more exciting school days are a sign of the times for everybody, realizing that these 400 kids are finally ready to go off to college. For everybody, this is the biggest moment of their lives so far. They finally can go off to start their own journey. Some kids may go off to San Diego State University and stay local, or go to New York University and be 2,550 miles from home, but they all will share the same experience these past four years, and that’s why it’s so emotional. The feeling of relief, but also knowing that you have to continue on to a new part of your life where you’ll never see a lot of your friends again is incredibly hard for anyone to face. But, at the end of the day, it is a celebration of our accomplishments and something everybody can’t wait for.

At the end of the day, the Class of 2023 will go down in history as a class that had to go through an incredible amount of adversity, with spending a good year in zoom meetings instead of a classroom. But through the highs and lows, I know that we all will walk away from Cathedral and truly enjoy every minute we had at that campus. Speaking on behalf of every senior here, Cathedral Catholic, thank you for everything.