Photo By Allie Carson | News Editor

Allie Carson as the Jonesboro Hurricane mascot during her Senior year.

After graduating high school, you become an alum of your school. This means you move on with your life, away from your high school glory days and grow up. Or that’s what society wants you to think.

I graduated from Jonesboro High School in 2024. I loved my time there and go back from time to time. 

However, I was called a “super senior” for returning by my old classmates. I’d attend a football game or go watch a play put on by some of my best friends. It was regarded as embarrassing and I was accused of not growing out of high school.

Going back to high school doesn’t mean you peaked and it’s certainly not embarrassing.

I was involved in basically everything in high school. I was in all the theatre shows, on the yearbook staff, student council, film crew and was even the mascot. I was well known by everyone, whether in my grade or in the ones below. 

I’ve seen many people I graduated with return to our high school for football games. They don’t sit in the student section, which they shouldn’t, but they go and root on the team they previously cheered on for four plus years. 

If you return to high school after graduation for events, such as sports games or fine arts productions, it shows you cherished your time there and didn’t just attend for classes without making real connections. Returning shows you made real connections with your peers and the school faculty.

Many of my teachers were mentors and parental figures to me and seeing them again is always enjoyable. I had many friends in the lower grades so getting to see them succeed as juniors and seniors makes me feel like a proud mother.

It’s not that I peaked in high school or that I have no friends in college. It’s the fact that I want to keep those friends from high school, along with all the ones I’ve made in college.

Having school spirit is not embarrassing and should be more socially acceptable. Attend your alma mater’s sporting events or its fine arts. High school, like college or Greek Life, should be more than four years.

Like they told us at graduation, once a Hurricane, always a Hurricane.

Categories: Opinion