Hello beautiful people, it is a joy for me to share my final moments as a Junior in High School with you. This has been the most fulfilling year of my life, from exploring my interest in dentistry through an independent research project and starting a new sport, to traveling to two different countries and making new friends, I feel like this year was packed with a variety of amusing experiences. Today, however, I will be sharing the final “woop!” of Junior year, including crafts and parties that have closed this chapter beautifully.
Starting off with Junior prom!
My Junior prom was in mid-May, however, I bought my dress back in March from an unsuspecting boutique in Dade City back in March. Though it felt early to buy a prom dress, I often have trouble finding clothes that flatter me or that I genuinely love. Therefore, I couldn’t resist snatching this beautiful dress.
Coincidentally, it was also the color and style of dress I wanted, being black, sparkly, and strapless. My dream prom dress was $800 though… 😬 so this purchase was a no-brainer.
This was right after purchasing the dress:
And here it is in its full glory during prom:
Prom was all sorts of crazy, with people crowdsurfing and backflips, but it was absolutely amazing.
By far it exceeded my expectations. I was on the dance floor with my friends about 98% of the night and apparently, we really know how to get the party started. 🥳
I would share videos, but I want to respect the privacy of my peers, so unfortunately, you won’t be able to see them. However, the venue was a luxury event center as well as a private garage building with a driving track. While we were limited to the event area, it did feel like a luxury experience with crystal chandeliers and exotic cars on display.
It was a night to remember, with amazing visuals and lots of dancing.
Next, the Academic Award Ceremony!
It’s a special event held to recognize students for their academic achievements, and I’m honored to have received an award for underclassman excellence in AP Statistics. The award represents my dedication, efforts, and the many memories I’ve made along the way.
If you’ve been following since my Friday the 13th post back in September, you might remember me describing a moment when I cried in AP Stats after getting a score I wasn’t proud of, but my teacher checked in on me and reminded me how much it matters to be heard and supported. I learned from it while receiving compassion from those around me.
You can read that post here: Click me!
From scoring a 40 on a multiple-choice quiz to receiving an academic award in the same class felt like a full-circle moment, especially since I initially doubted my ability to succeed in that class. Here’s your reminder and proof that you can always succeed when you put in the time and hard work!
And Lastly, Senior Crown & Shirt Decorating!
According to Google, Senior crowns are “a high school tradition where graduating seniors wear decorated crowns, often for spirit days or during the school year. These crowns often reflect their interests and hobbies. They serve as a way for seniors to express themselves and celebrate their last year of high school.”
Hopefully, that gives you an idea of what they are if you were unfamiliar with them. Senior shirts are similar, just in shirt form, and students don’t typically decorate them. I, on the other hand, did!
My original inspiration for my senior crown was the movie Mamma Mia and the song Slipping Through My Fingers by ABBA. I was going to use song lyrics on the crown, but my mom said “you don’t want to say the years are slipping by,” which, frankly, I agree with. Though the lyrics are heartfelt, I believe what you speak becomes your reality– so I’d rather not suggest that the years are “slipping by.”
Nonetheless, I kept the beachy theme. This was the product of approximately 4 hours of painting and gluing sand and gems onto my crown:
Junior Takeover Day
The crown and shirt decorating was for Junior Takeover Day, in which all Juniors wear pink shirts and their crowns to celebrate taking over the upperclassman role and show off their class spirit.
Here’s my shirt! I cut it to be off-the-shoulder and decorated it with tropical-themed stickers–palm trees, flowers, and coconuts–to match my crown. I also added the same blue gems from my crown to tie the whole look together and make the outfit feel more cohesive!
My friends and I also painted our legs with our graduation year, and attempted to stick pink glitter on… which, sort of worked? 😁
Overall, I had an excellent day and took way more photos than necessary to hold onto every little last moment. Our graduating class gathered on the football field at the end of the day to take a few yearbook photos, capturing the joy and spirit of our final days as Juniors. I truly feel this was the best way to wrap up the year, with creativity, laughter, and lots of smiles! 🌺🌞
And with that, the 2024-2025 school year has come to a close–leaving behind memories I will always treasure.
Thanks for reading, Nicole. 🫶
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