Lancer Ledger

The senior mural celebrates the Class of 2024’s years at LRHS.

Lakeland Regional High School opened its doors for the 2023-24 school year on Wednesday, August 30, and with this came a class of over two hundred students ready to embark upon their final year of high school. Beginning their high school careers as freshmen during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lakeland’s Class of 2024 has had a unique high school experience that they share with only a few years worth of students.

From the Beginning

From virtual learning and on-and-off closures in 2020 and early 2021, to the long-awaited reunion of pandemic cohorts into regular classes on the now-remembered May 17, 2021, many of the school’s newest seniors agree that their time at Lakeland so far has flown by. In an interview with the Ledger, senior Daniel Czeczot reflected on his first year at Lakeland: “Freshman year is almost a blur in my memory.” Remarked senior Ryan Susen, “Living through it may have felt slow, but it has honestly gone by quicker than I thought it would.”

For the Class of ‘24, freshman year may seem quite distant, but that doesn’t mean it was a complete haze of lockdowns and isolation. Lakeland’s incredible team of teachers and staff have always worked hard to persevere through the ups and downs of recent years in order to support this class and all others, and what is even more incredible is just how many teachers continue to support students outside of the classroom and after they’ve started different classes. “I’ve known Mr. Lauder since freshman year,” noted senior Susen, “and he’s always been cool to see.”

For most of the Class of ‘24, sophomore and junior year marked a return to a school atmosphere which they hadn’t seen since midway through their 8th grade year. Masks came off, friends were reunited and clubs were able to resume in more traditional formats, and after an interesting start, the class finally got the standard high school experience – mostly for better, but not without occasional drawbacks. Senior Czeczot told the Ledger, “Sophomore and junior year seemed to drag on forever.” Senior Diya Kumrah shared her take: “The first three years of high school were some of the best and some of the worst times I went through. I feel as if each day went by really slow, when in reality the months and years flew by faster than I can recall.”

Of course, another incredible benefit of the “normal” school years the class got once freshman year had been navigated was the ability to interact with teachers face-to-face and build meaningful relationships. In a testament to this idea, senior Kevin Bruenjes explained, “I met [Mrs. Roush] during my sophomore year when I spontaneously followed my senior friend at the time to a Philosophy Club meeting. Then, junior year, I had honors English with her, and for senior year I’m excited for a great year of Philosophy Club. She’s super fun to be around and one of the funniest teachers in the whole school. I genuinely missed her over the summer months. I missed being able to just show her or talk to her about random things. She truly made my junior year unforgettable and, ultimately, my entire high school career [so far] very memorable. I just love Roush.”

In a similar sentiment, senior Kumrah reflected on her favorite LRHS teacher from her first three years. “Mrs. Ferguson is one of the best teachers I have ever had,” Kumrah began. “Not only is she an incredible teacher, she is such an amazing person to just talk with. I can’t remember the amount of times I just showed up in her classroom after school to talk. She has helped me so much, and her passion for helping others is really inspiring. Some of my best memories were in her AP Biology class junior year.” Seconding Kumrah’s thoughts on the aforementioned class was Class of 2023 Valedictorian Nathan Caldwell, who affirmed, “AP Bio was a life changing class, not for the sake of the content, but for the thought process which it forced students to apply.” Asked about this year’s seniors, he expressed, “The Lakeland Class of 2024 is full of brilliant minds, and it’ll be both intriguing and pleasant to watch what they do with their lives.”

Present Day

From virtual clubs and classes through reopening, de-masking and finally a full return to normalcy as juniors, the Class of ‘24 has a challenging, important, but undoubtedly special and exciting year ahead. While it’s always interesting to reflect, past is passed, and the year ahead is arguably one of the most important periods of an individual’s life. 

With some seniors taking multiple AP classes, participating in an array of sports and clubs, or working jobs after a long day of learning, plus having the stress of college applications and thinking about the future, it’s no secret that this is a difficult and intense period in everyone’s educational timeline – but the Class of ‘24 is ready to tackle the year with positivity, optimism, and academic prowess. Kumrah told the Ledger, “I feel both nervous and excited about starting senior year. Although this is a very important year for college applications and maintaining responsibilities, I am excited to make great memories with my friends.” 

Seniors also enjoy a variety of benefits that underclassmen don’t. Senior Kate Rose explained, “I’m definitely looking forward to this school year more than others and that’s certainly because I had much more freedom with the creation of my schedule. This year I’m taking classes that interest me and will benefit me later during college which is exciting.”

Of course, not all are entering their final year of high school with boundless enthusiasm. Senior 

Susen noted, “I’m indifferent about it. I think [freshman year] started high school on a strange note, and that has affected the full experience. [That being said,] I want to have the best time I can senior year while still achieving good grades.”

Looking Forward

The Lancer Ledger also investigated how seniors were thinking about what’s to come in college and beyond. Some seniors, like Rose, already have a solid idea of what their future is likely to look like: “I’m planning on going to college and majoring in English literature to work in the publishing and editing field.” 

As is to be expected, others are still unsure what major or even what general field of study their future may hold – and senior year, as well as the years to come, are the time to make that decision – a decision which will no doubt be influenced by the colleges that seniors choose to attend. Bruenjes expounded, “I’ve been looking at local schools because I couldn’t imagine living somewhere other than New Jersey or just the northeast in general. I also have been looking at schools in urban or super close to urban settings because I’m over this whole suburban life. I’ve been looking at the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark and the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken for a cybersecurity degree. I feel like those are two great choices that will challenge me in different ways during the application process. One is significantly harder to get into than the other which will challenge me to do the best I can throughout the rest of high school.”

Certainly one of the most stressful yet important occurrences for seniors is the college application process, and all of the associated tasks and research that must be done, an  idea which was well-reflected in the interviews that the Ledger conducted. Explained Rose, “Finances are definitely one of the most important yet difficult factors to consider when choosing colleges to apply to as debt is nearly inevitable and will greatly impact your life during and after earning your degree. Learning more about certain colleges has also led me to learn what I value in a school that I may not have expected. For example, I never thought I would miss attending football and hockey games until I toured a school that only had a Quidditch team.” Indeed, next to the applications themselves, financial aid is one area that causes stress and impacts the decisions of both students and parents alike.

Sharing his thoughts on applications themselves, Bruenjes told the Ledger, “I’m definitely most worried for the actual application process. I started my essay over the summer and started looking at Common App, but I know that actually pressing done in my application will be really nerve-wracking.” Added Susen, “I just worry that it might seem harder to apply than it should be.”

Ready to Roll

With senior year just now getting underway, it’s hard to think about the fact that, a year from now, the class will have graduated and most will be beginning as college freshmen. Kumrah shared her thoughts on the new school year, explaining, “I definitely think the beginning of senior year is going to be more stressful than the end. By graduation, I think I’ll be more relaxed. Overall, I’m just happy to make positive memories with my classmates and friends.”

Thinking about what it might be like to finish her high school career, Rose noted, “People tend to get very nostalgic around the time of graduation, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I found myself acting the same way. I think that by the end of this year I’ll be relieved to be finished with high school and embarrassed by the amount of unnecessary stress I caused myself.” Concluded Susen: “I’m excited for some things this year…and it’s probably going to go quicker than I can even imagine.”

With the graduation of the Class of 2024 set for June 14, 2024, seniors have a challenging and thrilling year ahead. In the words of Assistant Superintendent Mr. Michael Novak: “Go get ‘em, Lancers!”