High school is a time for growth, learning and self-reflection. Yet, after four years of Paly, what has the graduating class learned?

For senior Jerry Yan, high school, especially freshman year, was a time of changes that sometimes led to confusion.

“Freshman year is, I wouldn’t want to say the worst year, but it’s the transition year,” Yan said. “You have no friends, and then you meet a couple people, and your network grows exponentially.”

Marcello Attardi said upperclassmen can act as role models, especially through extracurriculars such as theatre.

“I knew very few people at Paly, and then I met a bunch of upperclassmen,” Attardi said. “They were really encouraging and also really talented. I was like, ‘I want to be like them,’ and that inspired me.”

With his role this year as Mr. Darcy, a lead character in theater’s “Pride and Prejudice” production, Attardi said he has now tried to become a role model himself, with his time in theater leading him to take on greater responsibility.

“When I started it was very, very small things: interacting one-on-one with people and just trying to be friendly,” Attardi said. “But now I’m doing tangible things, like organizing events.”

Attardi said increased responsibility has led to personal growth as well.

“The level of independence that you get is a lot,” Attardi said. “It’s a lot higher in high school, and you get more each year, and that makes you readier for college and beyond.”

Still, senior Brian Liu said personal growth does not come without difficulty.

“Kids understate how much work there is, especially junior and senior year,” Liu said. 

Yan agreed and said a prep period can provide flexibility during an already demanding school day.

“I got saved by my prep today because my bike was broken,” Yan said. “So I drove to school. I couldn’t find a spot, so it took 30 minutes.”

And despite Paly’s academic focus, seniors stressed the importance of social development. Yan said meeting more people in high school is easier than it seems.

“I started with Connor Lee, at freshman orientation, and Connor Lee got me into (a) friend group, and that friend group got me into a different friend group,” Yan said. “It’s like your network only grows.”

Yan also said being friendly and approachable has benefited him.

“The most important thing in high school is probably to put yourself out there,” Yan said. “It doesn’t hurt to have more friends; it hurts to have more enemies.”

Liu cautions that the academically intense culture of Paly caused him to neglect himself.

“I would have slept earlier, drank less caffeine and taken high school less seriously,” Liu said. “You see all these different people getting into different colleges, and at the end of the day, it’s an arbitrary name.”

Yan said high schoolers should not neglect their social lives in favor of studying.

“Have a lot of friends, be in many friend groups or just be in one friend group; that’s enough,” Yan said. “Hang out with people.”

Attardi said students should find their own paths.

“Go out there and don’t be afraid to get what you want or go for what you want,” Attardi said. “You can’t control (everything) all the time, but one thing I think that a lot of freshmen have to learn is that you have to find a couple things you’re passionate about and stick with them. … Pursue what you want to pursue.”

Ultimately, Liu said students should prioritize what brings them joy.

“People work as hard as they want,” Liu said. “They put themselves in whatever position they think is best, but at the end of the day, it’s what you want to do and what makes you happy.”