Juniors Share Their Thoughts on Heading Into Their Final Year at Colonie High School

By Gavin McNeal 

June 5, 2025

The end of the school year is approaching at a rapid pace. With that means juniors are getting ever so closer to their last year at Colonie Central High School. This can be a unique time period for all juniors. Getting closer to something that may have always felt very far away can evoke different responses from everyone involved. 

During this time where their post high school future is closer than ever a lot of different emotions surround the junior class. 

In the eyes of Thamer Zegher it’s wild for him to believe that his high school journey is finally going to be over next year. On the other hand Owen Conley feels excited about heading into senior year so he can start planning out his future.

Even though time is winding down there are still events that will happen over the next year that students can be looking forward to. Senior Prom, Graduation and Senior Picnic are a handful this batch of Colonie juniors will get to experience next near. 

The time each junior has spent at Colonie has the ability to shape them into the person they are and will be in the future. This will get them prepared for what is to come their way, not just in school but in life as well.

Jack Cronin believes that “Colonie has allowed me to get through hardship and learn how to work hard.” 

As these juniors are making strides to better themselves for the future, it can still be a scary time when they are getting ready to leave their home for the first time in their life.  

“I’m a little stressed, there’s a lot I need to do,” Cronin said.

Even though this is a reality, the other, more positive side of the process can show itself as well. Exemplifying that juniors can be in a good place mentally heading into the important decision making period. 

“I’m feeling pretty relaxed about it. I have a lot of time and many good options,” Conley said.

College may seem very close but that doesn’t mean the work at the high school level stops. As juniors transition into their senior year they have more freedom when it comes to choosing what classes to take. Whether that is a lot of study halls or a lot of college and AP classes each student can choose their own path.

It does not go unnoticed that some students will start to slack off during senior year. This decline in motivation to do work is known as “senioritis.”

Zegher believes this comes from people taking a lot of study halls and not really any classes that challenge them to do the work they need to do. 

While this new crop of seniors will be finalizing their college decisions, taking hard classes or possibly slacking off because of senioritis, they still are the oldest kids in the school and are seen as role models for the younger grades. 

“The younger kids get to visualize what their experience will be like in a few years,” Cronin said. 

With that in mind the juniors that will be going into their senior year at Colonie next fall will have a lot coming their way. That may be in the form of school events, classwork, finalizing college decisions or showing the new group of freshman that high school isn't that bad. Senior year might be different than junior year for them but knowing that it's their last at Colonie makes it a little more special.