For the roughly 50 seniors at Mobile Christian School in west Mobile, this year’s first day carried a different weight than the three that came before it. As the Class of 2015 settled into homeroom, several students paused to reflect on what it means to begin the last chapter of their high school years, from the excitement of pep rallies to the anxiety of college applications.
Mobile Christian, which serves roughly 680 students from early childhood through twelfth grade, has grown its academic offerings in recent years, including a dual-enrollment partnership with Faulkner University that allows students in grades 10 through 12 to earn college credit in history and English while still completing high school coursework. Some students can rack up as much as 18 hours of transferable college credit before graduation.
Several seniors interviewed as the year began described a mix of anticipation and nerves. For some, the appeal of finally being the oldest students on campus, leading pep rallies and setting the tone for underclassmen, ranked among the most exciting parts of senior year. Others pointed to traditions like the senior class trip, often to Orlando’s theme parks, and the school’s beloved “senior drive-through,” in which graduating students parade personal vehicles across campus on the final day of school while the rest of the student body watches and cheers.
Not every part of the year is something students are looking forward to, however. College applications loomed large as a source of stress for many of the seniors, along with the pressure of choosing a major and a school. Advanced coursework, including AP calculus, was cited as a particular source of dread for at least one student balancing a heavy academic course load alongside extracurricular commitments.
Extracurricular involvement among the group ran the gamut from National Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta math club to cross country, track, basketball and yearbook staff. Several students held leadership roles in student government or class offices, while others found their niche photographing the yearbook or organizing Key Club service projects.
College plans varied widely. Some students hoped to stay relatively close to home, eyeing regional schools in Alabama and Louisiana, while others already had their sights set on Faulkner University in Montgomery, a school with deep family ties for several of the seniors whose parents or older siblings had attended. Prospective majors ranged from political science and history to computer science and the physical sciences, with at least one student expressing interest in eventually becoming a teacher and coach.
Asked what advice they would offer incoming freshmen, the seniors were consistent on one point above all others: don’t procrastinate. Several urged younger students to stay on top of assignments, learn their class schedules early, and not be afraid to join clubs or try out for a team, arguing that involvement outside the classroom often shapes the high school experience as much as academics do.
As the school year unfolds, the Class of 2015 will spend the coming months balancing college applications, standardized tests, and a full slate of extracurricular activities before their own turn comes to drive through campus one final time next spring.