Northwestern High School seniors reflect on their time as Tigers.

May 23—MAPLE — Northwestern High School's class of 2024 has been ticking off milestones all year as they move toward graduation: Last high school concert, last football game, last Monday as seniors.

How are they feeling?

Emotional, hopeful, excited.

Senior Maria Wiita said she cried getting ready for school Wednesday and later in the lunch line.

"I'm a very emotional person," she said.

It's a time to reflect on their high school experience and things they may never have the chance to do again, said classmate Lawson Burkhart.

"We're also very excited," said senior Maya Siddiqui.

"I feel like I made it," said their classmate Wyatt Andren.

They're looking forward to a host of different futures. Some are headed to college; others to work.

"I think it's really hopeful, too. Like we all are trying to go through like our next chapter and we're all like supporting each other through that, and it's really cool," said senior Riley Eberhardt.

The 2024 class motto is "Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." The class flower is the lilac, which means joy of youth.

Memories they'll carry with them from high school center on activities like sporting events, concerts, Snow Week, Homecoming Week, assemblies, dodgeball tournaments, dress-up days and Powder Puff football games. Each of them was involved in a host of activities their senior year, from band and athletics to Green Club and Link Crew.

Their advice for next year's freshmen?

"Do stuff. Join sports, join clubs, go do things. It makes it so much better, so much more fun, getting to know people. Like, get out there, you know?" Andren said.

"Treat everyone with kindness, get as involved as possible and value every day of your high school experience because the time will fly by and you'll be graduating before you know it," said senior Deana Jasso.

What do they want people to know about the class of 2024?

"We have high hopes," Siddiqui said.

"We're not as bad as the media makes us out to be," Burkhart said. "We want to work hard, we want to be productive members of society. We have big dreams."

"We have big hopes for the future, big dreams. I think we're not content with just skating through life. Like we want to achieve ... we want to do big things," Wiita said.

They'll travel new paths this fall. Jasso will attend the University of Minnesota-Duluth for exercise and rehabilitation science. Eberhardt is headed to Purdue Univeristy as a political science major. Wiita will study chemistry at Columbia University. Siddiqui will attend the University of Wisconsin-River Falls for criminology. Burkhart will study mechanical engineering at Dort University. Andren plans to enter the job market full time.

The seniors admitted that their eighth grade teachers may have had concerns about how they would turn out.

"We had a tough time in middle school. That wasn't our strong suit," Siddiqui said.

The group hit its stride sophomore year, though. Wiita said it was like a switch flipped as they found motivation to pursue the things they wanted.

What is their legacy? What is the class of 2024 leaving behind?

"I hope our voices. I feel like our class isn't afraid to speak up," Siddiqui said.

"We say what's on our minds," Andren agreed.

"When we feel like something isn't right. We're like, this isn't gonna benefit us the way it could be. We're not afraid to share how things could be better," Wiita said.

Jasso said she hoped they also leave a legacy of inclusiveness and kindness.

Those attending graduation will hear student speeches. Eberhardt will share memories of the past 12 years and offer advice for the future.

"Like being kind and believing in yourself and never stop learning because knowledge is how you succeed," Eberhardt said.

Burkhart will talk about how the pandemic shaped them.

"I'm gonna kind of mention our struggle through COVID and how we as a class are able to be resilient through getting through that tough time, and just in our future to continue to persevere through hard times and you know not give up when things get tough," he said.

Wiita will reflect on the past and talk about how every single day is a building block.

"Every day you have an opportunity to create the future you want to have," Wiita said.

If you go

The Northwestern High School class of 2024 will graduate Friday, May 24 in the lower gymnasium at the school. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. The commencement ceremony will begin at 7:30 p.m. No tickets are needed and there is no reserved seating. The After Grad Party begins at 10 p.m. with doors locked at that time.