Lessons Learned from the Class of 2022

While the Class of 2022 has just a few short weeks remaining to walk the halls of the Academy, the legacy they have left will continue long after they are gone thanks in part to an SAA tradition, Senior Voices.

“The seniors are a few years down the road of life. We recognize that their leadership is so valuable to our school, and Senior Voices offers them a stage to lead,” said Upper School Dean Heather Valdez.

The Senior Voices program began in 2007 when three brave seniors found their voice and wanted to use their experiences to motivate and inspire. These senior reflections are presented once a week during assembly to the entire Upper School beginning late in the fall semester and culminating with the final Senior Voice which is given during Senior Week by the SGA President. To participate seniors are required to submit a proposal outlining their theme. They are given the choice to make a video or speak “live” from the Hook Theatre during assembly.

“Senior Voices provide an opportunity for our seniors to tell their story and share with underclassmen the wisdom they have gained throughout their time at St. Agnes,” said Jennifer Lovelace, Director of Student Life and Leadership.  “We are shaped by our life experiences and our responses to them. Seniors share their story in a meaningful way so that younger students can benefit from their triumphs and failures. The underclassmen look forward to hearing the seniors speak. There are Senior Voices that are remembered years after they are given because the topic was so powerful,” Dr. Lovelace added.

This year was no exception as the seniors’ reflections were heartfelt, honest and empowering. We would like to share a small sampling of the wisdom imparted by the Class of 2022. Below are excerpts from four of the many Senior Voices that were presented this year. 

Fontana Cary

I am much more confident now, which I can attribute to the amazing role models I have in my parents, teachers, friends, and teammates. I used to feel so socially anxious and insecure, but now I’ve realized that everyone feels like that, even the girls you THINK have it all together. I’m not afraid to speak up or try something I might not be very good at. But this self-esteem didn’t come from nowhere: it’s built from your faith, having a strong support system, and friends and family you can count on.

High school’s a turbulent time for our self-image, as all of you know. You’re going to face all sorts of challenges and setbacks you never imagined, and you might feel like a different person as the years go by. You might look back on your freshman days and think… “Who WAS that girl?” You might think back to the sophomore slump when all the schoolwork seemed to pile on with no reward in sight. You might reminisce on junior year, where your number one concern is your ACT score or who you’re gonna take to prom. My advice to all of you is this: when you feel lost, or you feel like you just can’t do it anymore, turn to your roots. Turn to the people who raised you, whether they’re your family, family friends, or neighbors. Those people know you better than anyone else, and though they may drive you crazy, they’ll love you more than anything. So make sure you love them back.

Tamya Franklin

As a child, I tended to not care as much about what others had to say about me. But as soon as I grew older that seemed to change. In junior high, I often compared myself to others. I thought if I did not have what they had, I was considered less. After

years of trying to change my appearance and personality, it became draining. I got tired of switching up and not being happy. I’m sure we can all attest that trying to please others can put stress on us and cause our own unhappiness. I want to encourage you to love yourself and never deter your true happiness. And yes, I still struggle with self-love, but now I know my worth and that helps a lot.

Larkin Stuppy

During Covid quarantine sophomore year, I went on a mission. My mission was to discover myself. But even in this task I was trying to base my personality off all the unrealistic expectations that the media showcased. I started working out, not for myself, but because I wanted to be smaller. Because to me smaller meant more beautiful. More beautiful meant more attention. I worked out a ton and tried everything I could to lose weight. I tried lifting weights, walking a ton, doing the infamous 12:3:30 that social media told me would guarantee the perfect body. Nothing worked.

So, I tried running, not because I actually wanted to run, but because the two people who I admire most are runners and I thought if I ran like them, I could spend time with them, and automatically be them so that I didn't have to develop my own personality. For the first few months of my running journey, Iwould use it as the fastest and easiest way to burn calories. But when I changed my mentality, and learned to love myself at every stage I was at, not using running as punishment, but as a means to push myself beyond my limits for my own self-discovery – I found out who I really was.

I am a runner. Running helps me push myself beyond my limits. It taught (and still continues to teach) me so many things about my discomfort and growth. Running helped me to realize that I am my own biggest obstacle in life. Very rarely do people tell you your limits, most of the time it is your own inner critic making those demands. Running helped me realize that when I am comfortable, I end up hurting myself, never pushing beyond the next mile or even the next obstacle in life…

I no longer choose to live for who others need me to be. I choose to live for myself. For the first time in my life, I choose myself and my own happiness. This does NOT make me selfish. It makes me a better person. We learn a lot of thingsin school, from biology to psychology to history, from health to writing and reading, but we need to ask ourselves, How much have I learned about myself?

Am I getting to know myself as well as I know those formulas or history facts? And most importantly, am I getting to know my REAL self and then actually BEING that self? If you're not, it's time to get started. It's never too late and never too early to get to know you. You have to know yourself to truly be happy. I now confidently say that I know who I am.

Claire Hutton

And when I came out of my pandemic hibernation, I reinvented myself. Now an upperclassman, I could be bold. I wasn’t afraid to be heard in the halls. I could reinvent my story and become the girls I had admired freshman year. But what did that look like for me? I decided to stop looking at school as a burden and more like an opportunity. Every class was a chance to make school a little happier. Sometimes, through a compliment. Other times, it was through our extravagant math projects to make the people around us laugh. And once I had hopped off the negativity bus, I found it so easy to be positive.