A Reflection of the Bronx Science Senior Year

Whether you look forward to it with eagerness or a bit of anxiety due to the college process, senior year will inevitably arrive. Here are a few things to expect.

Seniors+at+Bronx+Sciences+Homecoming+on+Wednesday%2C+November+23rd%2C+2023%2C+reconnected+with+their+graduated+friends%2C+alumni+from+the+Class+of+2022.

Camila Kulahlioglu

Seniors at Bronx Science’s Homecoming on Wednesday, November 23rd, 2023, reconnected with their graduated friends, alumni from the Class of 2022.

I distinctly remember walking up to Bronx Science’s famous mural of Isaac Newton and other illustrious scientists during my ninth grade year and gawking at the daunting mosaic. Coming from a school with approximately one hundred students, I was astounded that a school had the means to produce such magnificence.

Entering high school, let alone Bronx Science, is a major feat that may have felt like a lifetime ago, for many Class of 2023 seniors. Over the course of four years, we have persevered through countless hours of homework and studying, all of which have played a key role in who we are today.

In this reflection of senior year, I will discuss senior activities, worries, fond memories, and words of wisdom. 

The first topic to be discussed is the Senior Council, which spearheads a majority of the events targeted towards our senior experience. They are responsible for ensuring the quality of the senior events and serve as the middleman between the administration and the senior class. The Senior Council creates the budgets, sets up the events, emails the administration, and takes feedback from seniors. This responsibility is divided amongst nine members on the executive board, including the President, Secretary, and Treasurer. Unfortunately,  some event ideas fall outside of their jurisdiction as a school-sanctioned student organization, but the Senior Council works around this to host the most memorable events that can leave a lasting impression on fellow seniors.

A long-lasting tradition at Bronx Science has been ‘Senior Assassins,’ a thrilling game that requires your undivided attention, organized by the Senior Council. Those who choose to participate will be randomly assigned a senior to pin. Once the assigned target has been pinned, the game goes on, and you assume their target. In previous years, there has been a winner of the game, however the class of 2023 set an unprecedented conclusion to the game with a premature end due to miscommunication regarding eliminated participants.

As we reminisce about our times at Bronx Science it is important to remember the good even in the bad, as Katelin Wu ’23 recounted. “My favorite memory is actually just feeling my mouth tug upwards whenever I see my best friends down the hallway. Both of our faces would light up,” Wu said.

Senior spirits were raised at the long awaited Homecoming pep rally on Wednesday, November 23rd, 2023. Photo Credit: Jacey Mok

Friends are arguably the most important aspect that we take with us when we graduate, as they are our motivators in our toughest times and the ones who light up our day. 

Kristi Banik ’23 recounted, “My favorite memory was during Halloween at our Bronx Science Haunted House…I had made up my mind that I would ‘vlog’ and record the reactions of my friends and me going through the haunted house. Everything was going well — I had the flash on, and the screams were perfect — until I saw the video back. The angle was totally off…Regardless, the video is extremely funny, and I treasure it so much.”

Though every one of our memories is unique, these Bronx Science memories all share a common foreground. As seniors, we all have made it through the seemingly endless junior year. For many, it was almost impossible to imagine an end to the college application process, but, as we always do, we overcame. Understandably, some underclassmen may still be nervous about the years that lie ahead. 

Seniors answered a question posed by a concerned sophomore: “If I want to get into a decent school, what is expected of me in terms of extracurriculars?”

Ian Ethridge ’23 responded, “As long as you’re doing the most in your one or two extracurriculars about which you are passionate and can talk about them, you’re doing great… It’s more the quality of what you do and whether you can write a good essay around it. Schools want diverse student bodies, not diverse students, so if you do well in any one or two things, you’re a strong prospect.”

Sabrina Tiger ’23 replied, “Sophomore year is a great time to try out new things – a club that interests you, a sport. In junior and senior year, you can focus on the things you really care about. As long as you are passionate about what you do and can demonstrate that in your writing… the school will want to take you.”

The Class of 2023 seniors generously leave us with some parting advice. 

On the theme of college, Aaron Cao ’23 said, “The name of the college you go to doesn’t actually matter that much, so try to have more meaningful experiences instead, at whichever college you do attend.”

Tiger said, “Try to find things you really love to do and make that your community.”

Though college is important, maintaining a healthy social and emotional life is integral to pursuing at least a somewhat enjoyable high school experience. 

Susan Ye ’23 suggests, “Don’t worry so much about what other people are doing; instead, focus on yourself and your own health and happiness.”

Banik advises, “Make sure to give yourself some ‘me time’ because you don’t want to be in a situation where you are sacrificing your mental health… for college. Also, make sure that you space out writing your supplemental college essays and try not to complete them on the day that they are due!”

Wu said, “Take your time to find the right friend group. They will come eventually, so don’t force it.”

A recurring theme within the advice provided by the seniors was to have fun, to minimize procrastination, to find something that you are passionate about, and to stick with it. 

To gain more specific insight on senior year and the inner workings, I interviewed Senior Council President, Anny Chen ’23.

Senior Council President Anny Chen ’23 goes above and beyond to ensure and plan the best senior activities by keeping them upbeat and full of energy. Photo Credit: Jacey Mok

When asked to give one piece of advice to underclassmen, she responded, “Be open-minded and have empathy. Not everyone is going through the same thing, and the most you can do…is to be empathetic and try not to assume harshly. Everyone around you is multi-faceted and has experienced worlds different from yours. Listen and learn, and reflect on your own view on the world — it will do wonders for yourself and alleviate the pressures that commonly loom in these hallways.” 

Reflecting on her own obstacles in high school, Chen remembered, “Time management was definitely a problem for me. I realize now that the time management my Big Sibs told me about didn’t just mean homework or upcoming tests. It meant making sure you had your priorities straight and that you made time for things you cared about. It meant keeping true to what was genuinely important to you and not piling on work just because everyone else saw value in it. Over the years, I learned that knowing what you like and don’t like, and asserting that…was critical in an environment where there was always something that was demanding your time and effort.”

When asked more specifically about her role as Senior Council President and what the Council had coordinated to make the Class of 2023’s year memorable, Chen responded, “We tried to go as big and grand as we could for events like Homecoming, an event that many faculty members have noted was the best Homecoming they’ve seen in years.”

Lastly, to remind of what to look forward to, she reminds rising seniors to have a “somewhat calm senior year.” 

Though college applications are stressful and the idea of their future college worries their minds, the realization that everyone is in this process together is comforting. It’s a whole other level of stress and community that rising seniors will experience, and I am confident that the next Senior Council will be able to aid in alleviating their stress.

As a Class of 2023 senior, I look back with both happiness and sadness. I’m happy to continue on with the next phase of my career in college. But there’s a tinge of sadness as well as my high school years come to an end. Even if many of us claim to be excited to leave, Bronx Science will always hold a special place in our hearts.

In this reflection of senior year, I will discuss senior activities, worries, fond memories, and words of wisdom.