With April showers turning into May flowers, and the sun shining just a little brighter…

We are all reminded how Spring is not only a transition period for Mother Nature, but for humans as well. And for high school students across the nation, graduation is approaching. This year, the graduation class of 2026 will walk across their stage among their high school peers. 

Stevens Point Area Senior High – SPASH for short – has their graduation ceremony on May 22, 2026. This graduating class is just shy of 500 students total which leaves room for a mixed-bag of futures. 

I interviewed five SPASH seniors who I know to be prominent in a certain department/ area of academics. How are we feeling as a group? What was the vibe for the 262 days we were in the 12th grade?

Class Statistics

To better understand our graduating class we can start by looking at where we stand as a nation. 

According to the American Council of Education (ACE) from 2000-2026, there has been an increase in racial and ethnic minorities. 

• 9.1% increase in American Indian or Alaska Native students

• 78.4% increase in Asian or Pacific Islander students 

• 79.7% increase in Black or African American students

• 177.5% increase in Hispanic or Latino students

But there was a, 

• 5.7% decrease in White students. 

These statistics from ACE can show how minorities have come a long way in terms of equality. An increase in graduation rates between different racial and ethnic groups can show that quality education is being provided to more diverse groups of people. However, just because the number of graduation rates have increased, this does not mean that American society should be pushing for equality and stronger education. 

Zooming back into Wisconsin, a chart has been provided by U.S.News.com listing all of the racial and ethnic groups enrolled here at SPASH. 

To get even more specific, SPASH rates 90th out of the 495 public schools in the state of Wisconsin according to Niche. Niche a website that ranks schools around nations based on Diversity,Teachers College Prep Clubs & Activities, and Administration. SPASH’s average ACT score is a 26 which is higher than the national average of 19. (Niche). 

These statistics can show how most SPASH seniors perform above the average standard compared to the average American student. I believe this can be a result of SPASH’s wide range of classes and how a majority of students can learn about something they are passionate about or at least interested in.

The last trend to brand about for the national class of 2026 is how we –along with the class of 2025– are the peak / start of a decline of high school graduation rates that is expected to last 10-15 years. 

The Luminia Foundation states, “The numbers of graduates will steadily decline through the end of…2041, when there will be 3.4 million graduates, or a 13% decline.”

WICHE.org claims the decline is likely the result of declining birth rates in 2008, along with COVID-19. Both factors are cutting the graduation rates by having fewer students in the coming classes, and having even fewer students in a traditional, in-person classroom post-pandemic. 

Student Q&A. Compilation. 

Anyone can look at numbers and give their two cents about a school and its students. But nothing is more real than hearing it from the students who lived the experience. Lived through four years of various activities, academia and awesome memories. 

I interviewed five students from SPASH who I know to excel in a certain area, and gathered their unique takes regarding senior year.

The following list showcases a SPASH senior, what department they are being interviewed for, relevant achievements and what their future plans are.

The following segment will be a compilation of students’ responses. Maybe you –the audience– can connect with one or more of these students as you see what they had to say about their high school experience. 

(Note: the responses will be color-coded by department)

Neuman- S.T.E.M.

Johnson- Humanities

Pilger- Athletics

Koelemay- Music 

Wetterau- Business 

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“If you could describe your senior year with one word…what would it be?” 

Neuman: “Tiring.”

Johnson: “Quiche.” (quirky niche) 

Pilger: “Exciting.”

Koelemay: “Slow?”

Wetterau: “Nostalgic.” 

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“How has your department you are now being recognized for impacted you as a high school student?”

Neuman: “It’s given me many opportunities like Youth Apprenticeship…my software engineer job.”

Johnson: “The teachers and the people I’ve had in those classes, even though it might not be viewed as a successful career, it still is something that would make me happy with his success within itself.”

Pilger: “It made me feel a lot more connected to the school… It helped me to better understand my limits and my ability to push past them.” 

Koelemay: “It has kept me more busy than anything else…If I have some free time it’s probably going towards music..even if I have missing assignments.”

Wetterau: “It has given me like a wider grasp on different careers you can go into. We have a lot of business classes here…”

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“Do you feel like high school has prepared you properly for your future endeavors? Why?” 

Neuman: “I do have a job through the school and corporate experience, but I don’t know how that will pan out in the coming years.”

Johnson: “I would say not enough for me to be confident in what- my future because I think there is still a lot of uncertainty in my majors and the field in general. But I hope it will work itself out.”

Pilger: “Yes it has. Um, I’ve learned how to balance athletics and academics at a high level. It has helped me form friendships, and relationships that I would not have normally sought out.”

Koelemay: “Future endeavors if that means college… then sure? If that means adulting..not at all…I took personal finance my sophomore year and I forgot it all by senior year.” 

Wetterau: “I feel like yes because especially here at SPASH there are so many classes for you to take…you can focus on something and narrow down your options (career choices).”

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“What is something you wish you knew before senior year?”

Neuman: “I cared too much about school when it was more just about getting through it- that’s what it should’ve been.”

Johnson: “*closes eyes* um, how much AI was gonna affect writing and media, cuz it sucks and i dont know if I’ll be able to have a career because of it.”

Pilger: “I wish I would have known how final everything was gonna be…especially with swimming being a fall sport, I wish I would have soaked in a little more time there.” 

Koelemay: “Umm deadlines for scholarships and applications because those snuck up on me a little bit.”

Wetterau: “I think just like don’t take any time for granted? And also just like spend time with everyone in the grade…I don’t think i would do it differently  because it went to a lot of school events and kept up with all my classes so im pretty happy with my senior year.”

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“What is a benefit you see in participating in your department that you want to emphasize to underclassmen?”

Neuman: “…it’s the biggest department at spash so you’re gonna have the most opportunities at SPASH. Like with Youth Apprenticeship, you will have all letters of STEM represented.”

Johnson: “Humanities classes teach you a lot about the world outside of your school…and it forces you to learn about different worldviews you wouldnt seek out on your own.”

Pilger: “Being a part of a sport really helps you make the early connections in high school and helps you to carry out your relationships as your high school goes on.”

Koelemay: “It is a great way to express yourself but also like learning music…I would say it lets you be smarter. It builds connections and can help you look at things in a different way.” 

Wetterau: “I feel like even if you are not planning on going into the business area you learn a lot of skills like public speaking and other skills you should know for like any other profession.” 

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“Are you ready to graduate? What will you miss or look forward to?”

Neuman: “YESSSS!!! Umm *clap*  Yeah wait, I wanna graduate…I will not miss having to come to the building everyday. I mean I will have to go to a different building everyday, but not this building everyday. It doesn’t matter though since it will be new.” 

Johnson: “Ok yeah I’m looking forward to graduating…uhhhhmm. I really did like my humanities classes, they were some of the only classes I actually liked and looked forward to.”

Pilger: “I’m very ready to graduate. I’m very excited. I’m very ready to get out of Stevens Point. Umm. I’m really gonna miss the people here and not gonna see these people here and also not seeing the teachers that have supported me here.”

Koelemay: “I love it here, don’t get me wrong but I need to leave and experience the world. I’m a little scared of becoming an adult and all that jazz but I’m ready to graduate.” 

Wetterau: “I’m definitely ready to graduate bc im ready for a new chapter or place in my life but i will definitely miss the people here and the teachers who have supported me. “

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What is the SENIOR CONSENSUS? 

After taking the time to sit down and chat with these five wonderful individuals, I noticed some key similarities and differences among the bunch that could ring true for the students who partake in similar activities.

The biggest theme I noticed from the responses is how we as a student body love feeling connected. Whether the connection was feeling connected to teammates, peers in the YA program, or feeling connected to yourself through artistic writing and music, I feel that many other students appreciate the safety of connection to humanity. 

Tor Wager is a neuroscientist who studied empathy in humans. One of his studies concluded, “…we (humans)have a brain circuit dedicated specifically to empathic care…This circuit includes the nucleus accumbens and the medial orbitofrontal cortex, brain areas involved in rewarding activities like eating…” 

A secondary trend I found in the five student responses is how everyone said they were ready to graduate. Even beyond that, four of the five added how they are ready to explore new places in life that aren’t the old stomping grounds of SPASH or the greater Central Wisconsin. 

On the flip side, I liked how different the one word responses were. As I am writing this article I asked myself the same question; to describe the year in one word. While I’m sure many of the other seniors felt “Tired” and felt like the year was dreadful, or “Slow” we could still feel “Nostalgic” and “Exciting”. Maybe a few of us even had some quirky and niche moments that left us feeling a multitude of emotions. 

To summarize a class of nearly 500 students in one article is difficult. How can we perfectly depict 500 lives with a few thousand characters?

The answer is…we can’t! And I think that’s what makes this project even better. Knowing there are likely students who feel the exact same as my five interviewees and the exact opposite. Maybe some are 50/50 or maybe feeling closer to a 51/49. 

Finally, when I asked the interviewees if they feel SPASH has prepared them for their future endeavors, one of the interviewed students started their response with, “How am I supposed to know?!” 

Which is probably the greatest common thought between the 500 of us. Our 13 years of education will be different compared to whatever is sneaking up. A retail job, the military, a gap year or a university will bring new challenges and different personalities. 

But like flowers in spring, you must bloom. The flora in the SPASH baseball field doesn’t stop just because the rain brought a little thunder.

As the class of 2026 walks up the ramp, across the collapsible platform, and back to the stackable chairs laid across the wooden floor, any questions and anxious thoughts will fade. No singular quote or statistic will matter as we close the yearbook, go our own ways, and start a new chapter of our lives.