Congratulations to Editor’s Note: In the spirit of providing opportunities to give our young people a voice and a platform, Our Broomfield™ is pleased to bring back a tradition. Each year, we look forward to inviting one senior from each of our three high schools to share a reflection on growing up in Broomfield and their high school career on behalf of their class. We thank this year’s seniors for their thought provoking columns, and the entire staff of Our Broomfield sends all 2021 graduates sincere congratulations and best wishes for the future.
With Proactive Fortitude, Brooomfield High Senior and Peers Reclaim Senior Year By Mia Gallegos
Saturday, May 22, 2021. The date we all knew was coming but never thought would arrive. Graduation is something that my fellow thirdgraders and I would talk about like it was some sort of distant ideal that only happens in the movies. Those same kids that I daydreamed about senior year with are the same who will be walking up the stage stairs with me to receive our diplomas. It is for this reason that I believe Broomfield and Broomfield High School are special. The kids that we will graduate with are the same who we sat by in kindergarten while learning our ABCs and addition and subtraction. We’ve watched each other grow up, and now we will watch each other start the rest of our lives. COVID-19 was the most unexpected event to occur in the course of our high school careers. Condolences for the class of 2020 turned into deeper pity for our own class of 2021. While last year’s seniors only had the tail end of their year ripped from them, we were forced to spend the bulk of ours doing school in our bedrooms. Friday night lights ceased to exist, fake homecomings were held in small gatherings, and the raging flame that once lit the school spirit we used to have became a mere spark. We had waited three long years to stand at the front of the Broomfield High School student section and lead the underclassmen through cheers, chants, and songs in support of our football team. Yet when football season arrived, we gathered around computers at home to watch the team play for a tiny crowd of parents. However, despite all the challenges we walked blindly into, our hope never was extinguished. We started petitions, put together virtual meetings, and have been able to pull back several aspects of the senior year we worked towards yet never received. Prom is in the near future, spectators are allowed at more outdoor sporting events, and graduation is on the horizon. Although this wasn’t the year we hoped for, my classmates and I have banded together and made it a memorable one nonetheless. I look forward to seeing the strength that we’ve gained throughout this year be put to use in our futures. This class is a resilient one, which will make for a remarkable group of doctors, writers, engineers, and leaders for years to come. Myself, I look forward to continuing my education next year at at Gonzaga University to study Journalism.
32
Our Broomfield™ Magazine | May 2021
Holy Family Provides Lifetime of Values and Support Punctuated by Invaluable In-person Senior Year By Caitlin Johnnides
As a kid, I always looked forward to Broomfield Days. The joyful sounds of the parade, the vibrant whirlwind of colors, the smells of the food trucks - it was all so enticing and exciting. I was thrilled when I got to be a part of Nativity of Our Lord’s float in elementary school, donning my polo shirt and plaid pleated skirt. What was even more exciting was seeing the glimmer and shine of Holy Family’s purple-and-gold cheerleaders marching in the parade, their smiles and skirts both sparkling. I couldn’t wait to be a Tiger in a few years, and my four years at Holy Family have been just as dazzling as I expected. Throughout my high school career, I have been pushed to not only be a better student, but a better person. Through the support and guidance of my fantastic teachers, I’ve learned important lessons both inside and outside the classroom. The curriculum at Holy Family has taught me the importance of hard work, dedication, resilience, and accountability, while also instilling in me the Catholic values of prudence, fortitude, faith, hope, and charity. I’ve been very blessed to have received such a wonderful education while simultaneously learning about and expressing my faith. I feel even more blessed to have had fully in-person classes and extracurriculars my senior year. Senior year classes are extremely important, as nearly all of the AP classes
