Summer Break Bliss-Graduation Trips

Hey everyone! Students celebrate the long-awaited graduation from high school in many ways. Many students go on a graduation trip with their family or friends! This could be a vacation to a foreign country or a weekend trip to a local lake. There are so many ways to have fun and relax during summer break and on a graduation vacation.
For my graduation vacation, I went to Punta Cana with my family! Punta Cana is in the Dominican Republic, and we stayed in a resort right on the beach! It was the perfect graduation vacation for me, I got to relax on the beach and swim in the ocean! There were fun water activities to do like water skiing, sailing, and windsurfing! Luckily the water was warm in case you face-planted off the boat! I even got to play tennis there-a vacation must for me. Overall, I had a great trip to celebrate my graduation from high school and starting of college! Now that I am back in California, I will be enjoying the last few weeks of summer before college begins!

About to get on the boat

Poolside drinks

Beachside dining

Where do you like to go on vacation? Where is your dream vacation? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo

Summer Break Bliss-Graduation Style

Hey everyone! Since I recently graduated high school I have been enjoying my first summer as an incoming college student! Since my friends are going to universities all over the country, it is important we see each other a lot before we are separated!
One fun thing graduates do during the summer is throw graduation parties! Graduation parties are held at the graduate's house and involve lots of food and fun. The parties are normally during the afternoon or evening and for the entire family. It's a great way to celebrate with family and friends the accomplishment of graduating!

Eating tasty food at my friend's graduation party

Another fun part of summer is attending theme parks! As you know, I live very close to Disneyland so my friend and I went there to celebrate our graduation! We found Mickey Mouse graduation caps and even got pins that said "just graduated" to wear all day long. It was a great day knowing that how hard we worked in high school to relax and have fun now!

Our Mickey Mouse graduation caps

My graduation trip to Disneyland

What do you do during the summer? How do you celebrate graduation? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo

Graduation and Grad Night Gratuity

Hey everyone! This week served as a great culmination of my high school years through many fun end-of-year events. The main event was senior graduation! However, leading up to graduation day we had a whole week of fun senior activities. We had a senior breakfast, picnic, and lots of pictures of the senior class together. Our graduation ceremony was held in our football stadium so all the family and friends of the 430 graduating seniors at Laguna Hills High School could come watch the graduation ceremony. This graduation ceremony included speeches from several students, teachers, and school board members. I wore a gold robe because I received an International Baccalaureate degree. I also had many chords to decorate my robe to show I had received many honors. The gold chord represented California Scholastic Federation, the blue represents National Honors Society, and the green represents Spanish Honors Society.

My graduation robe and chords

My friend and I graduating

The graduation ceremony with IB students (in gold) in front

Right after the ceremony we went straight into Grad Night which was an all night party held at the school. Grad night is put together so all students can spend one fun, safe, last night together before parting separate ways. The entire night is filled with great food, games, and prizes. Its like an amusement park at your own school! There was a photo booth to take fun pictures, a casino, and even a hypnotist to hypnotized our friends! The theme was Hollywood and Movies, so the entire school was decorated in this theme. It was great seeing blown up pictures of hunky Hollywood actors! It was such a fun night and a great way to wrap up my last year of high school.

Smile for the photo booth!

In front of the Hollywood sign at Grad Night

How did your school/work year end? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo

Grateful Graduates: Senior Awards Night

Hey everyone! Since it is the end of the school year, the seniors were invited to a special awards night honoring all their achievements over the past year. This was a great end-of-year celebration to recognize the truly exceptional graduating students. There were many different recognitions and awards given out. Many school scholarships were announced that night while all students who had already received a merit scholarship to their future university were recognized. In total, the students at my school received over 2.9 million dollars in merit based scholarships! Scholarships were not the only focus of the night as many awards for other aspects like academics and character were given out. The top 5% of graduating seniors with the highest grades were named "Medallion Scholars" and given a medal to wear during the ceremony. I worked very hard during high school so I was one of these lucky Medallion Scholars! I am so excited to wear my medal at graduation. Also, ten "Hawk Soar" (hawks are our school mascot) plaque awards were given out to ten seniors who demonstrated the best traits of a Laguna Hills student. I was fortunate to receive this award as well! I am so happy I have left my mark on the school before I graduate in a week. Senior Awards Night was a great way to honor the students who have worked extremely hard throughout high school before they end their journeys, graduate, and move onto bright futures!

Medallion Scholars

My principal who gave out the Hawk Soar awards

My friends and fellow Medallion Scholars

How does hard work get recognized at your school? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo

Achievement Attire: Preparing for Graduation

My school's IB cap and gowns

Hey everyone! I have only 10 days of high school left until I graduate and start summer! Since senior year is coming to a close, it is time for all seniors to receive their caps and gowns. Each American high school senior receives many things that they wear at the graduation ceremony. A cap and gown is the most important and is the hat and robe worn during graduation. At my school, if you complete the International Baccalaureate program you get to wear a gold robe instead of a brown one! The robes are gold and brown because those are our school colors. Another important part is found on the cap: the tassel! The tassel is originally hung on the right side and it is tradition to move it to the left side once you receive your diploma. It's a super exciting experience! Finally comes what is worn over the gown. Students receive different colored ropes and cords to wear around their necks based on the clubs they were involved in at school. You can get cords for being in any club from Student Government to Spanish Honors Society. This is like a final incentive for being productive in high school. In the picture below, you can see my friends from their gradation with lots of cords! Some even spice up their outfits with flower leis. I cannot wait until I get to wear all this at my graduation in two weeks!

My friends with their gowns and cords at graduation

How do you celebrate graduation? What do you wear during the ceremony? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo

The Senioritis Struggle

Hey everyone! Senioritis has struck Laguna Hills High, and it's contagious! What is Senioritis? It's not an actual illness, but it can feel like one!

Here is the definition of Senioritis from the Urban Dictionary:

Now that we have been accepted to college, completed all our AP and IB exams, and already had our Senior Prom, it is so hard for my friends and I to focus on our classes for the last few weeks of school. Our school is in session until June 19th, so we have 20 more days to keep working.

Senioritis has hit me hard! I would rather text and not work

When Seniors' minds start to wander, they often start to think of Senior Pranks that they can play on the rest of the school. Senior Pranks are a tradition at American high schools and are a fun way for graduating students to leave their mark on campus. Some of my friends from other schools have done fun pranks like decorating the hallways and classrooms at their school with crazy streamers! These Pranks are always harmless but are a fun way for the seniors to leave the school with a bang.

Do you slack off in school before summer? How would you "prank" your school? Let me know in the comments! xoxo

Midnight in Madrid: Senior Prom

Hey everyone! High school Prom is one of the biggest events of senior year and mine was held last weekend! Prom is an opportunity to get dressed up in long dresses and tuxedos and have a great time dancing and celebrating our last few weeks of high school.

My friends and I met first to take pictures close to the beach and then boarded a “Party Bus” to take us all together to the Prom. Prom was held in a venue right outside of Disneyland which made it even more special. During the night one Prince and Princess from the Prom Court were selected as the King and Queen of Prom. It was a really fun night and one of the highlights of senior year! 

What do you do at the end of your school year? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo