As the trees in the quad bloom and the air gets warmer, we celebrate the end of the school year. For HSMSE students who have been grinding since September, the school year’s end is a huge relief—a deep sigh as they look towards their summer plans. Long hugs good-bye and “see you in the fall”s spread through the halls, yet a pit of emptiness grows in seniors’ stomachs. After four eventful years of high school, the Class of 2026 will be walking these halls for the very last time. Maybe they’ve been counting down the days till graduation, or complaining about their next Calc BC test, but we know, deep down, this bittersweet moment is the source of a lot of reflection.  

 From fun-filled C-Days, to cheering on the Dragons at various sports events, to rainy days in the NAC, to sunny days at Schiff, these past years have held so many memorable moments. Beyond the events and traditions of HSMSE, though, it is often the smaller moments we treasure most. Out of an interest to tell the stories of the Class of 2026, we’ve interviewed a handful of seniors to share their favorite memories from their time here at HSMSE!

Below is a transcription of some of our favorite interview moments with the Class of ‘26:

Interview Group #1: 

Andy Dragan (’26): Hanging out with my friends, volleyball in genetics, and goofing off because we’re seniors.

Natan Hockenstein (’26): Mr. Choi’s geometry class. Getting into college yeahhhh. 

Andy Dragan (’26): I like to see where everyone is going. I’m not looking forward to wearing floaties on the subway. I don’t find it that funny. 

Annalie Merkel (’26): For senior assassin? 

Andy Dragan (’26): Yeah I don’t think I’m gonna last long as a senior assassin. 

Interview Group #2: 

Laura Morel (’26): AT SCHOOL? Uhm. 

Sam DeSilva (’26): Bro. 

Laura Morel (’26): Leaving. 

Rachel Michael (’26): In the quad?

Sam DeSilva (’26): The best memories are not in this school. [But] when you’re in that one class with that one teacher [and] that one friend and you give [them] that one look.

Rachel Michael  (’26): Winter recital? But the junior-year one. 

Laura Morel (’26): Yeah that was fun. On Thanksgiving when they hand out the plates but only if you’re nice to them. 

Interview Group #3: 

Lianne Annan (’26): *laughs*

Sam Rosner (’26): I liked a lot of our C-Days. They’re really awesome. Especially the one where I dressed up as Bob Ross. I think it’s really fun when the sports teams run out. 

Macaelah Jeru-Ahmed (’26):  Uhm. My favorite moment. Over the summer, hanging out with my Sinai cohort. It is Sinai so it counts! 

Interview Group #4: 

Greer Silberbush (’26): Maybe the senior trip?

Gaetane Pasquer (’26): I really liked the senior soccer game. 

Greer Silberbush (’26): Oh … that was really fun!

Interview Group #5: 

Willow Mintz (’26): I really loved senior sunrise. I love how everyone is hanging out, and I feel like I see people spending time with each other spontaneously, in a way people didn’t before. This year was definitely my favorite year. Within HSMSE, my favorite memories are the little, sometimes silly things that people do.

Ocean Hiller (’26): Senior year has been my favorite; I’ve loved mentoring younger students in The Echo and seeing how much I’ve grown personally. And despite being older, I’ve been reflecting on how many others have been in my place, which makes me appreciate the cyclical nature of things and how small I really am in relation to it.

Although the Class of 2026 will soon be leaving, the memories and fun times will stay with them. If anything can be taken away from these seniors’ anecdotes, it is to keep making memories, and remember to have fun!