Last Wednesday, seniors and teachers alike celebrated their last few weeks of high school out on the football field with hot dogs, hamburgers, and lots of raffle prizes.

Known as Decision Day, this special seniors-only party happens every year in April, after students have chosen what they are going to do after high school. Most seniors are headed to college, but some that attended the celebration will go into the military or straight into the workforce.

The festivities included free barbecue, a motivational guest speaker, and raffle prizes, making the event not only a celebration, but also a reward for all of the hard work that Northtown’s seniors have put in this year.

While Mr. Bates and Coach Fuger were on grill duty, students walked around the football stadium and chatted with friends, enjoying a day with almost perfect weather. Representatives from First Baptist Church were also present to accept a thank-you painting signed by seniors.

Caitlin Noe, a senior that attended the event, said that Decision Day was “a fun experience for the seniors to get out of class and hang out and think about college.” Caitlin will be attending Mount San Antonio Community College in Southern California next fall.

Throughout the year, seniors worked to meet their goals for after high school, so the celebration was in some ways a way to recognize those students’ efforts.

Ms. Cherry, NKC’s college adviser, said that “an event like Decision Day is important so that we can celebrate the senior students’ accomplishments, successes and post-secondary plans.”

For those seniors going to college, it was a long year with lots of deadlines and paperwork, but it was worth it in the end.

“This year has been stressful keeping up with school and also doing college stuff,” said Branislav Tadic, a senior going to Missouri Western State University, “Going to Decision Day made me realize that it was all worth it and that it has all paid off.”

Even though the event was only for seniors, other Northtown students should also begin thinking about what they want to do after they graduate, and how best to reach those goals. For students planning to go to college, the Decision Day celebration is also meant to encourage them to pursue their goal.

“Promoting a college-going culture within a high school also allows underclassmen to see that they too can continue their education beyond high school,” said Ms. Cherry. For current juniors and sophomores, she said, “it is never too early to start the college process. Take this summer to begin creating your potential college lists, visiting college campuses and applying for scholarships!”