As a high school senior, just the thought of graduating makes me shudder. Not necessarily for a bad reason, but because there is a wide range of emotions that comes flooding to mind.

I feel excited and eager to go my own way and experience life after high school, but I’m also terrified of what it will look like after I leave behind everything (and everyone) that I have known for the past 12 years.

Fortunately, Merrimack High School is well aware of the changes ahead for the senior class and has a way to help us prepare.

On Tuesday, March 22, Merrimack High’s senior class will participate in Graduation Challenge Day, a program designed for those who are about to depart from their familiar environments and start along new paths in the fall.

Whether they plan to attend school, join the military, take a year off or start working, Graduation Challenge Day is meant to help students reflect on where they’ve come from, as well as where they’re going.

"Your personal life is starting to change," said Amy Larkin-Perez, the physical education department head and one of the coordinators for Graduation Challenge Day. "This program allows you to really connect with your classmates and find a sense of closure before moving on."

Linda Mandra, another program coordinator, agreed. "It’s all about focusing on the upcoming changes and celebrating your accomplishments throughout the years. (Graduation Challenge Day) encourages the class to come together and complete the end of high school on a positive note."

Though Graduation Challenge Day is specifically for seniors, it is part of a larger program – Challenge Day – that helps all high school students to acknowledge the past and look forward to the future.

This is the sixth year that Merrimack High School will partner with Challenge Day to help students build closer relationships with one another. According to Larkin-Perez, "we’ve definitely seen changes in the school environment (since introducing the program). It helped tear down what had been a growing animosity between staff and students, and served as a catalyst for other positive changes in the building."

Emily Duval is a senior at Merrimack High School.

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