The Senior Class is royalty at Miami Lakes Educational Center (MLEC). After years of hard work and dedication, the upperclassmen don their crowns on the first day of school, signaling that this is their year.
Upperclassmen plan and decorate their gear, often planning to coordinate with their friends. They mark the occasion with pomp, circumstance and the obligatory selfie on the senior throne.
These crowns represent three stressful years, filled with laborious work, the sacrifice of a social life, summer programs and an infinite collection of memories created on campus. It’s a sign that ‘senioritis’ is about to strike, and that public schooling has met its end.
It may seem odd, but wearing the headgear seems to bring out a feeling of unison and a sense of family among the seniors who realize that this is it, their final year.
“It’s always fun to see these once nervous and scared freshmen become confident young men and women, poised to take on the world, preparing to head off to college and the career world,” said John Moffi, student government sponsor and Social Studies department chair. “That really is what it’s all about, claiming the power to become the masters of their fate,” he added.
It won’t be long before these crowns and senior sashes are replaced with graduation caps and gowns.