Reflecting Back and Moving Forward

The yearbook’s out, prom has passed and the final projects, essays and tests are being graded. Students at Newark Memorial High School have just one thing to look forward to now: summer vacation.

Underclassmen will spend the last week of school studying for and taking finals that could make or break their grades, and seniors will look forward to Saturday’s graduation ceremony.

For sophomore Steven Liao, the 2010-11 school year took on an indifferent tone.

“The longer you've spent time in high school, the more you realize things have just passed you by very quickly. The constant repetition of school makes you take ‘living in the moment’ for granted, and sooner or later, you wish that you could've done something worth it. You think things would last forever, but they don't,” Liao explained.

But senior Kenny Doan said his last year at the high school was amazing.

“I would say being able to meet with new people and chilling with the friends I cherished made it that way. It's due to their friendships that got me through high school, and I will be walking alongside them at graduation,” Doan said.

Sophomores both look forward to and dread becoming upperclassmen. Junior year is notorious for being the most challenging, and important, year of high school.  

“Next year I look forward to gaining a bunch of responsibilities such as time management, driving, camera handling and just maturing in general,” Liao said.

Liao plans on taking on the extra responsibility of being a member of the yearbook staff next year as well.

“I’m really excited for yearbook because I can now contribute to a book that will be made and distributed to the entire school,” he explained.  

On top of that, Liao plans on taking many AP and honors classes.

“I know for a fact that next year will be really busy since I'm taking AP (U.S. History), but nevertheless I think I can handle it. With 3 APs, an honors, photography, and yearbook, I think I'll have plenty to do next year,” he said.

As for the summer, underclassmen plan on hanging out with friends, working on summer homework for their AP classes and dreading the end of summer and the start of a new school year.  

“I can only expect junior year to be even busier,” Liao said. “Maintaining good grades and getting accustomed to studying is going to get even more challenging as time goes on.”

Seniors plan on spending their last pre-college summer with their high school friends before heading off to college, starting a new life and making new friends.

“I'll spend the last few weeks I have here in Newark with my family and friends who are staying in Nor Cal before I haul myself down to UC Irvine in a sad procession,” Doan said. “It's been my pleasure to have spent these years at Newark Memorial High with my friends, and thank you to my parents for raising me to become the person I am today.”