A Senior Celebration
Senior Rachel McRae dedicated an Instagram account to the senior class during quarantine.
PHOTO | Screenshot of @SionSeniors2020 Instagram
Displayed are the six most recent posts on the @sionseniors2020 Instagram. Featured are seniors Ava Stoltz, Katie Fitzgerald, Holly Frey, Lauren Mead, Elizabeth Finn and Kennedy Wade.
Senior Rachel McRae created @SionSeniors2020 to celebrate her classmates’ college decisions April 18.
“I wanted to celebrate my class because we are all so unique and intelligent, and have been through a lot together,” McRae said. “I thought this wasn’t the end the class of 2020 deserved so I wanted to do something to showcase our individuality.”
McRae used her newly created account to post pictures of each senior. Her classmates direct messaged her where they were going to college, their major and minor. In the caption, she tagged the seniors and congratulated them.
“My goal in creating the account was to show off the grade’s talents and achievements,” McRae said. “I wanted everyone to feel celebrated.”
Within five days, McRae gained 260 followers and posted the college decisions of 67 seniors. On each post, seniors encourage one another with uplifting comments.
“It made me so excited for college. It was nice to see where everyone’s final decisions and made me excited for my classmates,” senior Felicia Knox said. “It definitely is one good thing we all can look forward to.”
College counselors Heather Henning and Erin Stein are working together to help the seniors during this new and difficult time according to Henning. They are meeting virtually with various seniors to brainstorm ways to celebrate the seniors, like McRae did, and welcome them to their new chapter.
“I think Rachel and all of us are looking for ways to lift up the seniors,” Henning said. “What is most important to us, as college counselors, is that seniors feel recognized even when we can’t all be together.”
Henning and Stein are planning to do a virtual College Decision Day May 4 through Zoom. During the celebration, seniors will wear their college shirts and participate in a class Kahoot. The virtual activities will serve as a replacement for their traditional celebration due to local stay-at-home orders.
“I’m so excited for all the girls in my grade because everyone is going to do such wonderful things,” McRae said. “I couldn’t be more proud of everyone. I hope it helps the senior class feel recognized and connected.”