As teenagers, it’s hard to believe that the four years we spend in high school can be the best years of our lives. Adults constantly remind us to slow down and enjoy the time we have while we have it, but it’s so hard to listen when you have that research paper due the same day as your final exam. There’s no way high school will be missed once we graduate and go to college, right? Most students would agree with this- except for the soon-to-be-graduates of 2014.

For most seniors, graduation, which is set to occur June 6, is both a blessing and a curse. It’s an exciting opportunity, yet it’s also a scary one.

“I have mixed emotions about graduating in a few weeks,” senior Daniel Morales said. “I’m excited to start a new chapter in my life and study what I’m passionate about, which is business, but I’m also sad to leave everything and everyone I know behind me.”

Friends, family, teachers, and Devine itself are among the things some seniors admit they will miss upon graduation.

“I love my friends, this town, and my school and it’s sad to leave them behind, but I’m really excited to go out and explore the world beyond Devine,” senior Kayla Dubose said.

Obviously, friends and even favorite teachers will be missed when this year’s seniors graduate, but there are a few things they can admit they’ll be glad to leave behind.

“I’m excited about not having to wake up early every morning to go to school, not having to stress over the school work, and there won’t be any more dumb drama,” senior Kody Freeman said.

Despite the fact that it’s occurring in just a few short weeks, graduation still feels a little unreal for some seniors.

“I know we’re graduating in a few weeks, and that I’ll be going to college soon,” senior Augustine Ramos sad. “But to me, it just doesn’t seem real. I feel like I’ll be coming back here in the fall, and it’s weird to know that I won’t be.”

In light of the end of their high school careers, most seniors offer their advice to the underclassmen: enjoy high school while you can.

“High school went by so fast for me,” Dubose said. “It’s bittersweet, and I would definitely tell others to enjoy it while they can.”