There are seven days until the end of the school year. As the 2022-23 school year is rapidly coming to an end, seniors are preparing for graduation and getting everything finalized for college. At this time, seniors are either filled with feelings of excitement, anticipation or anxiousness.

The last few weeks of school are also filled with important events that all students should be aware of. 

On Wednesday, May 24 OHS Athletics will be holding a ceremony at 5 p.m. to honor athletes. There will also be an awards and scholarship ceremony from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m in the gymnasium. Students will be sent an exclusive invitation via mail. This event will be where seniors are recognized and receive their honor cords and scholarships. It’s also a way for the school to celebrate the academic achievements of their students. 

On Friday, May 26 the graduation concert will be performed by the OHS choir students. It will be held at St. John’s Church at 8 p.m. This will also be the last concert choir for this year. 

On Monday, May 29 it is Memorial Day. There will be no school for all grades from 9-12. 

On Tuesday, May 30 seniors are hosting the last hangout at 6 a.m. for a cookout in the senior parking lot. This day will have a different schedule even though it is their last day as a senior. Seniors will arrive at the gymnasium at 8:10 a.m. for an elementary school send off. All seniors are required to wear their cap and gown when visiting their elementary school. Also, seniors are required to attend their final remaining classes of the day. At the end of the day, seniors will be obligated to turn in their chromebooks at the Media Center. 

The last day of school for all other remaining grades from 9-11 will be on Thursday, June 1.

Seniors will be free the rest of the week until Friday, June 2. At this time, mandatory commencement rehearsal will be 1 p.m. in the gymnasium for those who are participating in commencement.  

On that same evening, the OHS commencement ceremony will be held. For seniors, line-up starts at 5:45 p.m. for attendance. While the ceremony will start at 7 p.m. on the football field and go till around 9 p.m. Senior Makenna Hovey and Kinize Carlson were selected as the commencement speakers on behalf of this year’s class. 

If weather conditions are not favorable, the commencement ceremony will be on Sunday, June 4 at 7 p.m. 

The seniors are not only the last ones to graduate from the Owatonna High School, but junior foreign exchange students will also be graduating. These students are excited to graduate in a new country. Junior Luisa Schenumann said, “I can’t wait to wear my cap and gown and walk across the stage in front of the whole school. This will be a perfect way to end my year before going back to Germany.”

Graduation will be marking the beginning and the ending of these seniors’ lives. Senior Kassidy Hart said, “Graduation is the beginning of pursuing our dreams and making them become a reality, but it’s also the end to an era. These past four years become memories that we look back on and cherish.” 

Congratulations seniors, the Class of 2023 has made it. As though graduation seemed so far away as incoming freshman, truly in a blink of an eye it’s here. Good luck seniors on all future endeavors.