Four years go by very fast. For the senior class of 2020, the last four years have been filled with every emotion and thousands of memories. From the nervous butterflies in the stomachs of every freshman on the first day of school to the nostalgia felt by every senior leaving the K-Dome after the last football game.

No two people have experienced these last four years the same.

As this year comes to an end, it’s important to look back on the last four years and remember the times that seniors will take with them for the rest of their lives, a time capsule of memories through the eyes of the 2020 senior class.

The start of senior year was marked by an explosion of yellow in the courtyard, parking lot, and painted on the smiling faces of seniors posing in front of the yellow mess.

“Doing a front flip in a kiddie pool is my favorite memory from senior year,” said senior Samuel Jones.

Senior Danielle Cardin also remembers this day fondly. “It was so much fun seeing all the seniors in yellow all getting up early and spending time together before the rest of the school got there. We made breakfast and painted faces and enjoyed the beginning of our last year.”

“It was amazing to celebrate the beginning of the year with my friends and really let it sink in that we were so close to closing this chapter of our lives,” said senior Julia Gentry.

Senior sunrise marked the beginning of the end. The last year of high school. The last year living at home. The last year having classes with our best friends.

The last four years have been littered with countless dances. From blue and silver to prom, dances have created some of the most unforgettable times for seniors.

“The best part of senior year was dancing my heart out at homecoming and morp,” said senior Elina Landin.

Senior Callissa Steel agreed: “I didn’t get to go to morp for very long but I got to go with my best friends. It could be my last high school dance ever.”

Senior year is marked with many lasts, but for many, these lasts are not tinged with sadness but instead with joy.

“My favorite memory from senior year is going to all the football games, tailgating and dressing up for themes with my friends,” said senior Molly Carroll.

This year marked the end of high school sports, spirit weeks, and parking lot adventures.

“It was fun being able to spend my senior band season with all of my friends, and meeting new people. Being a senior and in leadership really brought the past four years to a great end,” said Cardin.

The senior parking lot at lunch never failed to disappoint. The sound of laughter, music, and revving engines bounced off the concrete. The painted parking spots littered the lot with a wide variety of colors and messages.

“I will always remember lunches with Delaney [Longo], Heather [Buescher], and Jakob [Grebe] laughing so hard about absolutely nothing, but everyone’s laugh was so contagious and it was so funny,” said senior Jordan Stokes.

“My favorite part of senior year was sitting at lunch with my friends,” said senior Sydney Pruitt.

This year was also filled with many firsts., from the seniors losing powderpuff (again) to the brilliant halftime performance from the senior boys.

“The funniest part about senior year was powderpuff cheer,” said senior Robert Carroll.

Senior Katherine Farhart will never forget their performance, saying, “The funniest part was when the boys dressed up as cheerleaders for powderpuff and performed.”

Although powderpuff was a definite beat down for the senior class it will forever be a fond memory stained with the hollow sounds of whistles, the smell of turf, and the blinding stadium lights all fueled by senior frustration and slight embarrassment.

“The first play of our powerful game was… funny,” said senior Tatum Miller.

For others, people impacted them the most over the last four years.

“I will always remember when Mrs. Attias bought us cupcakes at the homecoming game,” said Molly Carroll.

“My funniest memory is Dylan Harley choking on a bagel because he thought he could fit the whole thing in his mouth,” said senior Gabrielle Young.

The last four years have created lifelong friendships, memories and helped developed the seniors of Air Academy into young adults with immense potential. A person experiences so much and changes a lot in four years. There is no way to fully capture the amount of growth the seniors have experienced through their high school journey. As the seniors get ready to say goodbye many reflect on the good times but also the bad, what would we change?

With every mistake comes a lesson. The class of 2020 learned a lot in four years and summed it up into words of wisdom:

“Get involved, make new friends, have fun–it goes by way too fast,” said senior Jade Loerzel.

“Don’t stress so much and enjoy the ride,” said senior Layne Andersen.

“Soak every moment in because you never know what will happen,” said senior Amanda Abbott.

“Take advantage of and cherish all the dances, sporting events, and great times with your friends,” said senior Nicole Lindsey.

“Always stay true to yourself and don’t be afraid to take risks,” said senior Acacia Ryska.

“Don’t be too hard on yourself and stop being so stressed, you’ll figure it out sooner than you think. You have good people and amazing teachers who surround you and help you make decisions,” said senior Parmida Mahdavi.

Air Academy has given us four years of friendships, memories, experiences, and life lessons. As the class of 2020 prepares for the next chapter of life, we take memories from this time capsule with us.