Sierra Vista High School opened its football field at 6am on Tuesday, August 19 to celebrate the Class of 2026 beginning their long awaited Senior year. The field, decorated with posters, photo backdrops, and activity tables, became illuminated by the stunning sunrise and the smiling seniors ready to welcome their last year of high school alongside their childhood friends.
Juniors in the SVHS Student Council spent three weeks planning the senior-only event, wanting to ensure that every student could find joy in the experience. Alongside the rest of the Junior Student Council class, the SVHS 2nd Vice President and Head of Events, Nora Baltera, and the SVHS Junior Class President, Naomi Synrod, worked tirelessly from 4am to 6am setting up the event and executing their vision. Throughout the planning process Synrod’s vision “was to create a peaceful, memorable moment where the Class of 2026 could come together at the very start of their final year.” Synrod further explains, “I wanted it to feel like a fresh start filled with unity, excitement, and reflection. Seeing everyone gathered that morning, and watching the sunrise together really brought that vision to life. It was simple, but the feeling in the air was exactly what I had hoped for.”
After concluding their setup, Baltera, Synrod, and their team felt extremely accomplished. During the event, underclass Student Council leaders facilitated the activity stations, captured the event, and walked around with cameras and photo signs. Synrod reflects, “My favorite part was looking around and seeing many of my upperclassmen, and even seniors I didn’t personally know, genuinely enjoying the moment, and talking, laughing, and just being present with each other. It really reminded me that they are all in that together and that they are gonna go so far in life. It made all the planning worth it.”
As the field opened and the class of 2026 flooded in, it became clear how much attending the event meant to SVHS Seniors. Senior Class Historian Allison Stanley shares, “Going to senior sunrise was important to me because it’s an event that I’ve been looking forward to since freshman year, and it felt surreal to finally be the one attending it!” The event lasted from 6am to 7:45am and seniors were provided several breakfast snacks including water bottles, juice pouches, and Little Bites muffins. Some of the activities included senior crown decorating, “photo opps” with backdrops, a “Senior Sign In” poster where seniors painted their handprints, and other table games like oversized Jenga, Connect 4, and Cornhole.
Almost like a scene from a movie, the seniors united under the sunrise, laughing at old memories from the past 3 years and sharing picture perfect moments with one another. The event itself served as a reminder to the class of 2026 to live out their senior year to the fullest. As Senior Class Treasurer Shae Springs comments, “I loved taking pictures with everyone. You could really feel how excited the whole class was. Senior Sunrise was just a reminder to enjoy every moment, because we don’t get this year back.” Other seniors reflected on the event with the same reminiscence. Senior Class President Nyema Tippens describes, “My favorite part about senior sunrise was seeing some of my old friends and wanting to get as many pictures with them as possible. Going to senior sunrise was important to me because these are memories that I cannot get back, so I have to cherish every event that comes this year.”
As the class of 2026 celebrates their final year of high school, SVHS urges them to bask in the glistening sunshine, looking towards the past with pride, towards the present with excitement, and towards the future with shining optimism.
