During the last four years, NVD seniors have gone through both rough seas and calm waters as they navigated their way through high school. Now that they’re graduating, what were some of their favorite memories, but also hardest challenges? 

For senior Najiya Phillips, many of her best memories center around lunchtime. 

“The best part; the thing I remember most vividly, is the gym cafeteria during lunch freshman and sophomore year, how social it was, how we were able to hang out with our friends then. During junior and senior year, with people leaving, it’s getting harder to talk to them,” Phillips said. 

Similarly, when asked about what she would miss most about the last four years, Phillips expanded upon her answer. 

“Lowkey lunch; it’s nice that everyone has lunch at the same time, and you see people you don’t have classes with, it helps keep friendships alive. I don’t think lunch in college will be like that. Lunch will be whenever you want it to be, and nobody is forcing you to be with your friends at that time,” Phillips said. 

As for challenges, her reply was something that many seniors can probably relate to. However, it’s also something that helped her grow. 

“College applications; looking inward and trying to find what I wanted to say about myself, it made me more sure of myself and grounded, made me think about myself and introspect. Though it was hard, it really helped me grow as a person.” Phillips said. 

Senior Ian DiGrigorio’s favorite memories, unlike Phillips, don’t revolve around lunch, but rather extracurriculars.  

“I loved Track and Field and Japan club; the community in Japan club was great, and the discipline and competitiveness that track and field taught me was something I’ll never forget,” DiGrigorio said. 

As for what he would miss about NVD the most, his answer is heartwarming and likely something many can relate to. 

“The teachers, specifically Mrs. Glick or Mrs. Bell. They both had personalities outside of teaching, so it was great to get to know them. I had a lot of fun talking with them after class,” DiGrigorio said.