As graduation approaches, seniors are reflecting on some of the milestones that have defined their final year of high school. From Senior Nights to senior thesis, members of the Class of 2026 said the experience has been both meaningful and challenging.
This semester alone has been full of highs and lows. In the beginning of February, seniors took their cap and gown pictures and also took their “read pictures,” which will be displayed in the hallway this spring. They also tackled their last ACT required to graduate.
Speaking of “lasts,” Senior Nights are coming to an end, with the winter sports’ ceremony happening recently.
Senior Amia’Lynn Stuckey has participated in G-Step at University Academy for two years, and she was one of the students recognized at Senior Night on Feb. 17.
The Senior Night ceremony took place before the boys’ varsity basketball game. During halftime, G-Steppers and cheerleaders did special performances.
“My favorite part of Senior Night was doing our performance that all the seniors were in charge of,” Stuckey said.
Senior Makayla Dunn, another G-Stepper, shared similar feelings about the night.
“My favorite part of Senior Night was seeing all my family and friends come out to support me,” Dunn said. “It meant a lot to know they were there for me.”
Stuckey said she was excited to participate in her first and only Senior Night.
“It doesn’t happen to everyone, and it felt good to be noticed for our efforts and see our team’s improvement,” she said.
Both seniors said as they reflect on their high school years, they see the positive impact it has had on them.
Dunn said her school experience has encouraged her to step out of her comfort zone.
“School impacted me positively by branching out to do extracurriculars that middle school me would never have done,” she said.
The senior thesis has also played a major role this semester, taking a month and a half of time in English classes so far. Over the course of several weeks, students wrote their subsections and different parts of their papers. Previously, seniors had spent time finding a topic, creating an argument, and doing research. On Feb. 19, the thesis papers were submitted.
“Even though the senior thesis was stressful, it helped me research in areas I want to study in college,” Stuckey said.
Speaking of college, a lot of seniors are making decisions on which college to attend, with the help of parents and Mr. Joshua Burdette, the college counselor at UA. Seniors finished sending most of their applications out in 2025 and have now reached the time when final decisions must be made.
Graduation is coming up in two months on May 14. As the semester moves along, UA’s seniors are striving to finish off the year with a plan in mind.
