hey, class of 2020:
You don’t have to be okay right now. You’ve been staying inside for what seems like an eternity, we’re in this weird alternate universe where days don’t exist and now, above all else, senior year is ending without all the fun end of year celebrations, yearbook signing, taking your last exams and saying goodbye to everyone, and we still don’t know about other milestones like prom or graduation until the pandemic dies down.
It’s not an easy sacrifice you’ve been asked to make, and first I want to commend you for handling it so maturely – you’re a part of the greater good, keeping people safe, and that is something that is SO important and heroic right now, even if it doesn’t feel like it.
Nothing can erase a pandemic, but here are some ways you can still make the most of your senior year (because it IS still your year, even if you’re not in school):
Write a list of impressive, brave, crazy, fun things you have accomplished in high school that you NEVER would have imagined in your freshman year.
I bet you’ve grown and excelled in ways your younger self could never have predicted.
Create a senior collage and maybe a virtual yearbook using iMovie, Canva, or another app you love.
Fill your galleries and your walls with great memories, inside jokes (literally – inside), and killer memes.
Ask friends and family to send their favorite pictures with you.
Do something intentional each week, if not more often, to catch up with your closest friends.
Continue this tradition on breaks home from college, and you’ll have lifelong friendships that endured a pandemic.
Plan something big you’d like to do once it’s safe to be outside your neighborhood again.
Plan a senior trip with your closest friends, save for a big purchase you want to make, ask someone out IN PERSON that you never had the courage to talk to before, be brave!
Make a list of bad habits or toxic relationships you’ve outgrown, or ones that you would like to work on during this time.
Decide how you will carry the heaviness of this time with you.
Use it as a growth experience, not a time to waste away your talents and skills. How can you use this experience in a future job interview to show perseverance? How can you safely help others during this time?
Treasure this time with your family.
Believe it or not, most of you will cry A LOT when your parents drop you off at college. This time at home with them is a great bonding experience that you will get through together. Ask them about their teenage/college years, their fears or dreams when they were your age, what scary things were happening in their world at that time – you might be surprised to hear they share similar experiences.
Finally, know that it’s okay if you feel supremely bummed out. The rest of the world feels with you, and we sincerely hope you can still remember your senior year fondly with moments that changed your life forever. This pandemic will certainly mark your senior year, but only YOU can define it.
If you’re in the Class of 2020 and you want to share your insights on Instagram, tag @framesandlettersphotography and/or use the hashtag #coronaclassof2020!
PS – If you need any senior portraits done once this is all over, fill out the contact form below and I’ll get in touch with you!
johanna elise
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