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Photo courtesy Kiley Murdock, from the Senior Sunrise event on September 9.
By Victoria Pumphrey Staff Writer
10/8/25
ROCKLAND- The senior class of 2026 has just under eight months until they graduate from Rockland High School. How have they changed since they were early freshmen?
Guidance counselor and class advisor for the senior class, Ms. Jill Delaney, has the ability to look over one class for all four years of high school.
Ms. Delaney said, “This class has come a long way. I’ve always loved this class… now they’re nearly adults. Their class is unmatched in terms of school spirit.”
When it comes to what this class has learned the hard way, she mentioned that stepping into leadership roles was a major thing that they have struggled with, starting in freshman year.
Ms. Delaney said, “I think it’s just been a trial and error figuring that out… there’s a lot of leaders in this grade, for sure.”
She also believes that a common misunderstanding among freshmen in general is thinking that high school is harder than middle school.
“I don’t think [high school is] necessarily harder. I think it’s just different,” said Ms. Delaney. “You’re on your own.”
In high school, you are not around the usual set of students since you are put in classes that are right for you, not just within your grade.
Ms. Delaney said credit requirements were something that this class had to learn over time, and she wishes that they had learned more easily. They did not figure out until later into high school that they needed these grades and attendance to get credits to move up in grade level, and to graduate.
On the other hand, Ms. Delaney said that as a whole, the class started high school caring very much about their athletics and grades.
Ms. Delaney said, “I was very proud last year and how they came together for Powder Puff. They supported each other; they were cheering each other on.” She said that most senior classes do not have this game, but for them to come together as juniors with as much spirit as they had was very impressive.
Ms. Delaney concluded that, “It’s just such a good class. Seeing them grow into the young adults that they are now is just so rewarding."
Current senior of the class of 2026, Kiley Murdock, mentioned that a piece of advice that she wished she had been given was to “join as many clubs as possible, just get involved.”
Similarly, seniors Kira Mason and Clara de Oliveira said that they wish that people had told them to get more involved in the school; to which de Oliveira added that people should have told her to focus more on grades because, “They are really going to affect like your GPA and transcript, and how you are perceived.”
Murdock mentioned that, “[My biggest fear coming into high school was] fitting in. Like just making friends, sticking around. But you know, as I’ve grown up, I feel like it doesn’t really matter that much, just talk to everybody.”
She also advised students to be themselves, “Fitting in is kind of stupid.”
On that same topic, de Oliveira’s biggest fear was, and still is, college.
“‘Because there’s so much stuff to think about… as a senior, it feels even more intense because I’m searching a lot, and then I still discover more, and I feel like I’m missing out on more stuff.”
Mason said that her biggest fear was “not understanding my classes, and it has evolved because it gets easier as you go on, even though the classes seem to get harder, you just get used to the process.”
de Oliveira said that a skill she wished she had learned earlier into high school was to be organized and not procrastinate. With Murdock sharing something similar, as she had mentioned time management is something that she is even still working on.
Mason also mentioned time management, as well as wishing she was more outgoing and social from the start.
Tying back to when Ms. Delaney had said that this class was hesitant in taking leadership roles, Murdock echoed Ms. Delaney’s thoughts about leadership in the class of 2026.
She said that she wished she had started running for higher positions earlier into high school, with her role in Student Council as an example.
de Oliveira said that she wished, as a freshman, she had started early planning out her year, high school, and future.
To that, Mason said, “[I wish I had taken] interactions with my teachers [more seriously], I wish I had connected with them more.”
Murdock and de Oliveira both wished they had stressed less about grades, as they are important, but according to de Oliveira, “You should still care about your grades… but stress a little less, stress in a healthy way.”
Mason said, “[I wish I had stressed less about] Senior year in general. It always seemed really stressful to have to do everything… but it is not as stressful as I had imagined it to be.”
Something that Murdock found more difficult as a freshman was the lunch schedule, because they had a different schedule where everyday was the same lunch, but one was different, so it was hard to get through if you did not have a friend.
Mason said, “[For me, it was harder as a freshman] adapting to high school in general. The freshmen now feel very comfortable in their environment, in general, after a few days, where for me personally, it took a few weeks to get used to it.”
These are some final messages that these seniors want to leave for the future freshman and all other students:
Murdock said, “Grades aren’t everything; just do your best.”
de Oliveira said, “Organize. Organize your schedule, organize long-term stuff, start organizing your high school year. Don’t overwhelm yourself with stuff that is not here yet, but also have that in the back of your mind.”
And lastly, Mason said, "Don't take [high school] for granted, and just have fun.”
It is unimaginable how these seniors, and seniors in general over the four years of high school, change; personality-wise, grades, looks, and especially future plans. It is important for any student of any grade to just take things one day at a time, and as is common with the thoughts of these three seniors, get involved as much as possible.
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