The Jones Class of 2024 has experienced many chaotic and unstable events throughout their high school years such as the COVID-19 pandemic, an entirely new administration, and political instability. Our class has faced challenge after challenge and if you ask any senior, this year is nothing like our freshman year, from school policy to social climate to political climate. We were not afforded the privilege of a stable and consistent last four years. Now only a month away from graduation, we made it through. That is why our class has the best possible advice for underclassmen to survive high school. 

First, always take advantage of opportunities to socialize. You never know when there might be a world-wide pandemic shutting down the nation for an entire year. High school is meant to be an opportunity to make friends and memories. These years serve as an opportunity to discover who you are and the kind of people you want to have in your life. The amount of high school seniors who saw their friends in person “almost every day” dropped from 44% in 2010 to 32% in 2022 according to The Hill. The pandemic also caused a loneliness pandemic amongst teenagers with more and more of us using social media, discord, text messaging and Facetime to interact with her peers. That is why it is essential to take advantage of high school and the lack of adult responsibility to really connect with people. Afterall we are social creatures who thrive in communities so build these relationships early.

Second, build the school community you want to be in. Involve yourself in clubs and community projects. Talk to your school administrators and force them to listen to you. Go to LSC meetings, talk to teachers, talk to your SGA, talk to LSC student representatives. It is obvious that Jones has things it has to fix and recover from in the following years, so be a part of this recovery. Be a part of the construction of the safe and communicative environment that Jones is now aspiring to have after many tumultuous years. Jones has so much potential to be an awesome school environment but in order to reach this potential you all have to be a part of it and contribute to it. Just complaining about things you don’t like within the school community is not going to do anything. You actually have to take initiative and make your voice heard.

Third, make informed decisions. We are fortunate enough to be able to attend a school with so many resources at our disposal. Abuse these resources, learn as much as you possibly can and become an informed citizen. Unfortunately, we live in a time where the media is constantly spreading misinformation and propaganda and the art of ethical journalism is dying. Taking the opportunity to learn from a variety of different sources and hear a variety of different opinions while empowering our generation to speak up about the issues that matter to them and also form the critical thinking skills needed to become informed citizens. The purpose of high school is to prepare us for college and eventually to be functioning adults thus using the opportunity to truly learn and create the ability to learn even once we get out of school is essential. So while we might not be the biggest fans of homework, long classes and boring essays, learning to handle these things and actually taking the time to consume the material you’re learning is essential.

The Class of 2024 has without a doubt been one of the most unstable classes but we are also one of the most resilient groups of students. High school can be hard and the real world is gonna be even harder but it is possible to get through it all successfully. Benefit from all the privileges that going to Jones College Prep has afforded you. Acknowledge this privileged place you have been given and use it for good.  To the future classes of Jones College Prep, the 2024 class wishes you the best of luck.