School clubs, games, movie nights, powderpuff, homecoming, grad night, prom,  even getting to enjoy class with friends—all cancelled. 

Not only did the pandemic put a pause on everyday routines, but it also forced the class of 2021 to experience their senior year mostly online at home. With less than two months left in the school year and LAUSD campuses barely opening up, the senior experience is impossible. “I wish I knew it was going to last this long, so I could’ve prepared myself for being rushed into a whole new school environment,” said Gaby Navarro, a senior. 

Many seniors haven’t found a sense of normality in this situation; some struggle with high stress, loss, and maybe even mental illness. For many, school is a getaway—a safe space from home. “I wouldn’t have taken for granted the months I had with my friends before I left. I had plans with my friends and all the events at school that we were going to have. It just didn’t play out like how I thought it would,” Jennifer Saldana, a senior, said. 

Every student back in March of 2020 thought a two-week break was worth celebrating, not knowing—at the time— said “vacation” would turn into a year. Class of 2020 left school with one-and-a-half semesters of an in-person senior experience. The Class of 2021, however, didn’t get really any in-person class time. 

Senior year for the class of 2021 consists of turned-off cameras and muted mics. Is there really any normality in that? “As a senior, I feel that I missed out on a lot. I was really looking forward to senior events because it’s our last year in high school and I wanted to make memories with my classmates and friends before we go off to college,” said Elissa Ramos, a senior.

A senior package wasn’t offered this year, and that was a great letdown for many. “I looked forward to the amusement park trip,” Ricardo De Jesus, a senior, said. Similar to most other seniors, Ramos expressed that she really looked forward to prom because of how big a deal it is. However now, one of the most monumental senior events is too far out of reach to be attained. 

Despite the lack of senior activities, in-person graduation is a high-likely occasion (not set in stone though). Obviously if there is a graduation, there are going to be restrictions, but it’s better than nothing. “I wanted to be able to spend my last year of high school with my friends in a classroom working on group projects together, going on senior trips together, and going to prom with all my friends. 

With graduation, I imagined it to be a moment of completion where my family and friends would all gather and celebrate. Instead, it’s going to be a small gathering and I know that no matter how hard they try to make it as normal as possible, it just won’t be the same,” Navarro said.