It’s March at Lakeside High School, and suddenly graduation for the class of 2026 is right around the corner. With just two months left, everyone is experiencing different emotions. Some people are counting down the days, some are freaking out a little, and a lot of us are just trying to soak it all in before it’s over.
For Caroline Spires, graduation cannot come fast enough. “Oh my God, I’m so relieved. I want to get out of here. I’m so happy. I’m overjoyed. I’m giddy, giggling, skipping, joyous,” Caroline said, laughing about how ready she is to move on.
When I asked if there was anything about high school she’s going to miss, she didn’t even have to think. “No.” Actually, if she could, she’d make time go even faster. “No, less time. Less time,” she said. She talks about graduation all the time and already has her next step lined up. “I’m going to college. Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.”
Maria Cortes is feeling different. She said it’s exciting, but at the same time, it feels like a reality check. “It’s like a hit because it’s reality. You have to face the real world,” Maria said. She admitted she definitely has senioritis (and honestly, who doesn’t at this point?).
I asked what she would miss most, “My teachers,” Maria said right away. Even though she feels like she’s gotten what she needed from high school, she’s still not totally sure she’s ready for what’s next. Maria wants to go into real estate after graduation.
“You don’t have to go to school for that, but you do have to get your license, and I’m already taking classes. Basically, the next step I need to do is just get my diploma.”
Just like Caroline Spires, Davion Grimes is also ready to be done. “I’m happy. I am ready to get out of school. I’m just, you know, ready to be done with it, you know, all my life,” Davion said.
He joked that he’s tired of waking up early every morning and said there’s “not one thing” he’ll miss about high school. Davion knows what’s next for him, too. “Yeah, I want to go get my CDL license,” he said. He’s looking forward to starting work and moving on.
Warren Gags has mixed feelings about it all. “Everything’s getting close and kind of real now, and I feel like I should have graduated a while ago, but it’s finally gonna be here,” Warren said. He’s going to miss “being just around here and in this area. And baseball, yeah.”
Warren said he feels both ready for college and not ready at the same time. He plans to major in either Kinesiology or exercise science.
Graduation is everywhere these days, even online. Maria said, “I’ll be scrolling on TikTok and see all the graduation videos, and it just hits.” Some people are talking more about college plans than graduation itself, but for a lot of us it’s all about the countdown.
No matter how we’re feeling, excited, nervous, relieved, or even a little sad, we’re all about to close this chapter and start a new one. The Class of 2026 is almost at the finish line, and it’s finally starting to feel real. Good Luck Class of 2026!
