As the sun rose, the senior class of 2026 grew in excitement to kick off their first senior event of the year. Bigger senior events and fieldtrips, including Catalina and Disneyland, have made Senior Sunrise subjectively the most overlooked event of the year.
Senior Sunrise is one of the very few reasons that seniors in high school are willing to get up bright and early in the morning at 5:30 AM to get to school. “I loved to see how the senior class bonded together, along with the camaraderie shared within the class,” Assistant Principal Mrs. Danielle Fox said. At 6 AM, when the students arrived at school, they all got close together on the steps in front of the school to take a group photo holding up a sign that said “Class of 2026” to
cherish for years to come. “When we were taking photos for senior sunrise, I suddenly felt the realization that this is my last year in high
school, and this is just the start of the many senior festivities I will take part in,” senior Mane Igityan said.
After taking the class photo, some students stuck around in front of the school reminiscing on their wistful memories at Clark, with a side of hot chocolate and donuts provided by ASB. “Last year for Senior Sunrise, they had Krispy Kreme donuts, but this year ASB decided to support a local business on Foothill, called Donut Star. It was disappointing that most of the donuts remained untouched, but we still enjoyed supporting our local small businesses,” Director of Activities, Shant Gyurjyan said. Most of the students at this event immediately made their way to IHOP after they took the traditional senior photo. Although students were very excited to go enjoy their own time with their friends, ASB had discussions after the event to think of ways in future years to make the “sunrise” part of the morning something more active for students to engage in on campus before leaving. There was even talk of potentially getting a breakfast food truck, so that the fundraiser would remain on campus.
Students went to the IHOP fundraiser to enjoy a classic American breakfast consisting of a variety of pancakes, bacon, sausage, eggs, and more. A fan favorite among most of the seniors was the “Happy Face” pancake from the children’s menu, with a whipped cream smile and two strawberries as the eyes. Friend groups sat around the cozy booths, and excitement, along with the smell of sweet maple syrup, filled the air. Students were talking about their new classes, what time they went to sleep, and mostly the upcoming Catalina trip.
As the class of 2026 slowly reaches adulthood, they will always have events and traditions like Senior Sunrise to remember their high school experiences by.
