Tag Archives: graduation

CVU Graduation at Patrick Gym, UVM
CVU Community, Vermont, Volume '22, Issue 1

Graduation: A time of hope or fear pt 2

By Molly Simons

Three months ago, I wrote a story interviewing 3 seniors to see how they felt about graduating. I decided to follow up with them to see how their opinions changed. Bevan Roberts, 17, Jameela Memoli, 17, and Maggie Whitman, 17, all stated how excited they were to see what happens next, although they were going to miss their friends and families.

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Bevan has been accepted into three colleges so far with still waiting for seven. So far, St Micheal’s, Roger Williams, and Johnson & Wales being her favorite so far for studying criminology. She explained her love for the campus including the fact that “there are only four days of classes so you have Friday off. The school has three private beaches for the college students.” Her parents are sad that she is leaving seeing as how her older brother is in college currently so they are worried about “being alone”.

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Jameela has been accepted into Fisher College in Boston. She is still waiting on three, with Southern New Hampshire being her favorite. She is very excited to leave Vermont. “Southern New Hampshire’s college had a great atmosphere, and the campus, including the dorm rooms, is really nice!” She said she wants to “study criminal justice and do forensic science as my major.”

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Maggie got accepted into Sienna, which is her safety school. She is still waiting to hear back from UVM which she made an early decision for. Maggie is the first kid in her family to go off to college. She stated that “I have two younger siblings, and I am going to miss their presence a lot.”

 

 

As the school year is coming to an end, and seniors are making college decisions you can tell some are very stressed for this next big step, but all students are getting excited about this next big chapter!

 

CVU Graduation at Patrick Gym, UVM
CVU Community, Opinion & Review, Volume '22, Issue 1

Graduation: A time of hope or fear?

By Molly Simons

This year there are 357 seniors in CVU’s graduating class. Graduation is on June 16, 2023. As a senior, I am undecided how I feel about graduating, so I decided to interview a few students in the month of September 2022, and see how they feel about what’s happening next. I interviewed 3 seniors including Bevan Roberts, 17, Jameela Memoli, 17, and Maggie Whitman, 17. I will interview them over the year to see how their feelings will change about the topic.

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I sat down with Bevan to see how she felt about graduating. She said she was “excited to leave but scared to start a new chapter.” I asked her where she was going after she graduated and what she was looking forward to. She said, “I have no idea, but I am looking forward to going to college and getting a job.” When I asked,“Where do you see yourself in 10 years?” She replied, “I see myself married, hopefully I have a kid, and a house.”

jameela

I asked Jameela the same questions, but she gave an almost opposite response to each one. Regarding graduating, she said “I am very nervous about moving out and being on my own.” I then asked her where she was going and she responded with “I am applying to a few colleges but my main goal is to go to Castleton University and get my Psychology and criminology degree.” After asking her where she was going after high school and what she was looking forward to. She replied “Maybe getting an apartment in New York City and going to College parties.” When I asked her where she saw herself in 10 years she wanted to be settled down.

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Lastly, I asked Maggie the same questions. She said she was “hopefully going to UVM.” I then asked what she was looking forward to and her response was different from the others. She said that she was excited for “freedom and not having to abide with certain schedules.” In 10 years, Maggie said that she was “hopefully at a job that I enjoy and living successfully!”

I will be interviewing these students later this year in the winter. I look forward to seeing how their answers will change.

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CVU Community, Uncategorized, US Headlines

New Virus, New Mask Mandates, New College Application Process?

Hailey Chase

HINESBURG, VT– Two words of 2020 were “new normal,” and that can even be applied to CVU’s seniors’ different college application process. From travel restrictions to different class scheduling at CVU, this “new normal” has had a significant impact on seniors’ college decisions.

CVU senior Sunny Premsankar expressed how this year’s college process was unique for her. Sunny was unable to visit any schools before sending in her applications—something most seniors can relate to. Like Sunny, most seniors utilized online resources for the majority of their college research. Many colleges and universities now offer virtual self-guided tours; prospective students can click through campus and get an idea of what schools may look like. Thankfully, Sunny was able to visit the school she committed to, but only a few days before the May 1st National Commitment Day deadline. Another obstacle she had to overcome was the final semester of junior year; the world was shutting down, school was online, but AP classes continued to teach new material. 

“End of the school year-wise, I think it was harder for AP class and for AP exams. For Chem at least, we had to do three units online before the AP exam. It was definitely harder to end with a good grade,” the student noted. Sunny’s experience in her final semester as a junior is something almost all students at CVU can relate to; when COVID hit and school was online, it was a major change that didn’t discriminate—absolutely everyone was affected. For juniors and seniors enrolled in AP classes last spring, that meant a greater challenge to learn the new material in preparation for finals and the AP exam. 

CVU Guidance Counselor Jen Bickel-Hayes weighed her opinion on the class of 2021’s college application experience as well. On the topic of new test-optional policies, she explained, “One of the biggest changes was that most schools took a test-optional approach with their testing policy. This means that applicants were able to submit test scores if they felt they would be beneficial to their application. However, if they chose not to send test scores, the schools would not view this negatively when considering a student for acceptance,” which many students were grateful for. In Vermont, SAT and ACT testing sites began canceling test sessions in March 2020, and there were little to no tests offered until September of 2020. The guidance counselor also touched on new COVID-related writing prompts on many schools’ applications as an opportunity for applicants to share how COVID has affected their life, whether it be academic or not. 

In terms of college applications for future college applicants, Bickel-Hayes believes that there are a few significant changes that are here to stay, the first one being test-optional policies at some colleges. “Many schools will remain test optional for at least next year’s application season. This is due to the fact that it is still difficult for students to take the tests or take it multiple times,” she stated. 

COVID has had an immense impact on the world—not just on CVU and its students. “New normal” policies are being implemented into every aspect of life, and the college application process is no exception. With lasting effects, from finishing junior year remotely and the inability to visit colleges, CVU’s seniors have had a much different college application process than pre-COVID classes, and now some of these changes, such as test-optional policies, are here to stay.

Uncategorized

2020 Graduates Honor Connor Lewis’ Memory

Ms. Sabine Foerg and Ms. Lauren Kovacik

CVU’s 2020 senior class chooses to honor their former classmate, Connor Lewis, with a memorial scholarship for two deserving seniors,  keeping Connor Lewis in their hearts as they graduate from high school. Students and teachers voted for two recipients of the scholarship on May 15th.

On June 2nd, 2017, our community unexpectedly lost a beloved classmate, student, and friend. Connor Lewis, remembered by his community as a kind, nurturing, and lighthearted student, has remained in the hearts and minds of his classmates, CVU’s graduating class of 2020. As a 9th grader, Connor entered the CVU community in the Nichols core. Years later, a committee of his classmates and friends have chosen to honor him as they graduate high school by creating a scholarship in his name.

connor lewis

Students and faculty were asked to nominate “a classmate who embodies these values: kindness, inclusivity, and dependability”, says Principal Adam Bunting who addressed the community.  “Two $1000 scholarships will be awarded to CVU High School seniors who have demonstrated these values over the course of their four years of high school.”  These scholarships are to be given in honor of Lewis, and the students who receive them should have and portray some of the characteristics that Lewis is remembered most for.

The committee is led by Connor’s friend and classmate, Garrett Gruendling, alongside several other seniors. Originally, this group was organizing a ping pong tournament to raise funds for the scholarship, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this event was unable to take place. Instead, the group turned to their classmates and came up with the idea of the scholarship in Lewis’ name.

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