The Final Bell: Dreams, Decisions, and Senior Goodbyes

On this special senior spotlight episode of Between the Bells, we talk with graduating seniors Connor and London about the excitement, pressure, and emotions that come with the final weeks of high school. From senioritis and favorite memories to career plans, college decisions, and moving away from home, the conversation is honest, funny, and inspiring.

Connor shares his dream of becoming a flight attendant and why he chose a path outside the traditional college route, while London talks about her passion for film, taking a gap year, college, and possibly joining the Air Force Reserves. Together, they reflect on friendships, finding community through clubs and activities, overcoming procrastination, and the advice they’d give their younger selves.

Whether heading into high school or just reminiscing about your own senior year, this episode is full of encouragement, laughter, and reminders to make the most of every moment before the final bell rings.

Transcript

00:00:04:15 - 00:00:08:15 

Hi, everyone. Welcome to the Between the Bells podcast. You're here with Cami 

00:00:08:20 - 00:00:12:24 

Alexa, Lucy, Maddie, Ruby, and Annelise and Mrs. Graham. 

00:00:15:11 - 00:00:23:14 

Today, we are seeing down two seniors, London and Connor, and we want to hear what it's like to be finishing high school. Senior year, it's almost over. So how are you  

00:00:23:16 - 00:00:25:28 

guys feeling about graduating in, like, two weeks?  

00:00:26:03 - 00:00:42:12 

Wow. Wow. Wow. Is it surreal? Yes. Is it exciting? Yes. Is it scary at the same time? For sure. But overall, I think I'm mostly happy and ready to get done with senior year. Finish out strong. Push off the senioritis.  

00:00:42:19 - 00:01:00:12 

Got it, man. What about you, London? It definitely doesn't feel like I'm almost done. I feel like I still just moved here. Like, what do you mean I'm graduating? I'm not ready. I am ready to leave. In a sense, I'm a little tired, but I'm very I feel very accomplished of all the work done.  So it's almost like surreal to  

00:01:00:14 - 00:01:02:24 

you guys. Like, it's something you never thought would actually happen.  

00:01:02:26 - 00:01:06:27 

Right? Exactly. Yeah. I still feel like a freshman sitting in my freshman first class at  

00:01:06:29 - 00:01:07:16 

the start of the year.  

00:01:07:18 - 00:01:10:27 

What will you miss most about high school, and what won't you miss?  

00:01:11:12 - 00:01:22:03 

I think personally, the thing that I'll miss most is hanging out with my friends every day. I've grown some strong connections and relationships and friendships with all the people I'm around.  

00:01:23:24 - 00:01:42:04 

I think seeing them every day and not being able to see them every day, I guess, is going to suck the most because I love all of my friends and getting to see them always brightens my face. I think the things I won't miss for sure are just getting assignments done on a strict time period. I hated that all throughout my high school  

00:01:43:20 - 00:01:58:19 

it's just a normal part of life, I guess. But I think I overcame getting those assignments done, and definitely senior year I've learned to manage my time better. I think that's what I loved, what I didn't love as much. What about you London?  

00:01:58:27 - 00:02:19:23 

I think what I'll miss the most is the groups that I have put a lot of my time and effort in SVTV, like which is our, like, school's news and announcements and everything. I've been doing that for, I think, three, four years, and I've done a lot of work with our JRTC program,  

00:02:21:15 - 00:02:26:26 

I'm in our, like, planning, like, group. So I do a lot of behind the scenes planning.  

00:02:26:28 - 00:02:27:13 

Aw.  

00:02:27:24 - 00:02:37:28 

I will definitely miss all that work. What I will not miss, definitely the strict, like, rules that we've had, especially over this year.  

00:02:39:26 - 00:02:45:09 

I will not miss that. And with the phones? The phones personally never bothered me as much because I'm a rule follower a 

00:02:45:11 - 00:02:46:10 

little They bother me.  

00:02:46:12 - 00:02:48:21 

So I know. You tell me the all time.  

00:02:48:23 - 00:02:49:12 

Well, I'm  

00:02:49:14 - 00:02:56:16 

a bit of a rule follower, so they never bothered me. Mhmm. But now that I'm not allowed to have them even in my free time, it makes me wanna go on them more.  

00:02:56:18 - 00:02:57:17 

Yeah. I I agree  

00:02:57:19 - 00:02:58:14 

with that. Yeah.  

00:02:58:16 - 00:03:02:16 

Yeah. What are you guys' plans for after graduation?  

00:03:03:06 - 00:03:34:01 

So currently, my thought process is I am going to go straight into the workforce to try and get done and just be done with school altogether after I graduate. I wanna become a flight attendant, so I think that's going to in be the future for me. I think over the summer, I'm gonna keep working at my job so that way I can make a lot of money, so that way I can save up to get my own apartment once I'm ready to move out. Mhmm. I know a lot of kids decide to stay, like, at their parents' home after college or after high school.  

00:03:34:03 - 00:03:39:26 

Excuse me. I just don't see that in my personal future because I'm ready to get out and explore. Yeah.  

00:03:40:15 - 00:03:42:01 

Do you know where you wanna move to?  

00:03:42:03 - 00:03:53:06 

I think somewhere in the south, I hate the cold weather up north, and I'm ready to get tan, ready to be sitting on the beach Yeah. Drinking a fun Alani and sitting, relaxing.  

00:03:53:09 - 00:03:54:19 

The PA weather that is  

00:03:54:21 - 00:03:57:18 

awful. Yes. Yes. Inconsistent as  

00:03:57:25 - 00:03:59:08 

Inconsist. I have the good word for  

00:03:59:10 - 00:04:01:03 

inconsistent. Yes. Inconsistability.  

00:04:01:05 - 00:04:04:26 

You wanna be a flight attendant. How are you feeling about, like, the stuff that's happening?  

00:04:04:28 - 00:04:37:22 

Yeah. It's over the past, like, two years especially, there have been, like, a lot of changes in travel. Actually, ever since COVID, honestly, I feel like there have been just an immense amount of changes. I have a family friend who actually is a flight attendant, and she started about three years ago. So right before shifts in the, like, actual employment of flight attendants used or started to change with businesses and stuff like that Mhmm. And contracts and stuff like that. Recently, Spirit Airlines just closed all of their flights out, so they are no longer, like, a company flying.  

00:04:37:27 - 00:05:08:18 

So it definitely increases the need for or increases the amount of flight attendants who are, like, out of a job. Flight attendants, pilots, everyone who work with Spirit Airlines is currently, like, out of a job. So that makes competition really high for specific positions. So I'm feeling a little bit nervous about that. But based on my previous work experience, I've worked in countless number of restaurants since I was fourteen years old, so about four years now.  

00:05:08:20 - 00:05:27:25 

So I feel confident in myself along with my, like, problem solving skills to the point where I think I have a shot a good shot that at at becoming a flight attendant still. And I think that if I keep working on specific skills that I might struggle with, I think that I really have a good chance of becoming one in the future.  

00:05:28:02 - 00:05:34:28 

The the listeners don't know this, but Connor is, like, one of the most hardworking people I've ever known. So I know you're gonna do great things.  

00:05:35:00 - 00:05:36:19 

Thank you. I appreciate that.  

00:05:36:21 - 00:06:07:12 

Well, London, what about you? What are your plans for after graduation? I definitely wanna go to college. Right now, I I'm taking a gap year. Even though I know, like, colleges like, I've been accepted to a full state full sale university in Florida, yeah. Yeah. It's an it's a more, like, expensive art college. Mhmm. But I'm gonna be taking a gap year to try and make as much money as I can because I do not have much money.  

00:06:07:14 - 00:06:37:19 

Yeah. And it's a little expensive, but I also will be looking other schools at in Florida. There's some other, like, art programs over there. And I'm also, like, considering if I wanna do the air force reserves, goes Mhmm. Go into the air force to hopefully help, like Yeah. They pay pay for your school. Yeah. Yeah. I've been very iffy about it because military life, even though my dad was in the military, it's not a life that I see myself enjoying. Mhmm. It's not something I see myself wanting to do. That's why I Yeah.  

00:06:37:25 - 00:07:06:14 

Probably go more reserves because it's you do your basic, and then you only are with them, like, a couple weeks in the summer, a couple weeks in the winter. I would be probably dedicated to them for maybe six years. Yeah. But it's not bad. But I also just recently got, like, some scholarship money from the Army. Nice. Yes. And now I gotta use that. Yeah. You guys are both looking to head down south to, like, Florida and stuff? Yeah. Won't be staying there.  

00:07:06:16 - 00:07:07:08 

That's the goal for  

00:07:07:10 - 00:07:16:18 

me at least. I feel like Florida, Texas, even out west, like, I could definitely see myself moving out west as one of my best friends also moved out there recently.  

00:07:16:20 - 00:07:29:18 

Oh, it's not me. I'm only going there possibly for college. Yeah. I've always, like, thought about maybe moving back to the UK because that's where I live. From UK? Yeah. Wow. That's interesting.  

00:07:29:20 - 00:07:31:06 

London from the UK.  

00:07:33:03 - 00:07:39:24 

To America, I moved right after elementary school. Okay. And I've been here since middle and high school. So  

00:07:40:04 - 00:07:44:11 

Are, okay. But, like, your parents are not  

00:07:44:20 - 00:07:45:05 

No. My parents  

00:07:45:12 - 00:07:48:05 

not, like, from the UK?  

00:07:48:07 - 00:07:52:05 

No. Both of my parents are American citizens. I'm an American citizen. I'm That's  

00:07:52:07 - 00:07:53:20 

little stupid question, but I didn't  

00:07:53:22 - 00:08:01:06 

quite know both. No. People ask that quite often, but since they're both American citizens, I don't have dual citizenship. I'm just Strictly over here.  

00:08:02:07 - 00:08:05:28 

Well, with the gap year, do are you afraid that you're  

00:08:06:00 - 00:08:06:24 

not gonna go back to school?  

00:08:06:26 - 00:08:12:05 

Because I would not wanna go back to school at all. I, like, don't wanna come back for a year.  

00:08:12:07 - 00:08:26:15 

Honestly, I haven't really thought about it because I've been very tunnel vision on going to college, especially since I didn't say this earlier, but I'm, like, looking with, like, film and stuff. And it's just really helpful if I get a degree.  

00:08:26:20 - 00:08:28:12 

So you're, like, sad. Like, you  

00:08:28:14 - 00:08:33:13 

know you'll still go back after. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Because that and that is a common thing. People Yeah. People take a gap year then dont’ go back.  

00:08:33:15 - 00:08:39:25 

Well, I feel like some people, like, don't, like, have the, like, determination to go back, though. But in London, I think you'll be  

00:08:39:27 - 00:08:40:12 

fine.  

00:08:40:14 - 00:08:41:15 

London is also an incredibly hard worker.  

00:08:41:17 - 00:08:43:24 

So For sure. Exactly. She has to  

00:08:43:26 - 00:08:50:20 

Did you guys come to these, like, decisions of what you wanted to do with, like, your life and your careers on full sale? Like, in how did you decide on Florida?  

00:08:50:22 - 00:08:54:27 

Is it just because I I applied and I got accepted or, like, is it specifically because it's in Florida?  

00:08:54:29 - 00:09:17:24 

I actually didn't even know the school over there until my family took a trip to go see my mom's side of the family. And we stopped at a gas station because it's I think it's, like, a thirteen hour drive. Yeah. That's really horrible. And there was a, like, this room in this Walmart, and it was full of computer monitors. And there must have been some kind of  

00:09:17:26 - 00:09:20:03 

gaming tournament going on. On the big  

00:09:20:06 - 00:09:45:13 

screen. And this guy just started rambling to my dad about Full Sail, and my dad's a Yapper. So they they just kept talking about it. They took his business card, and then we just started looking at all the programs there. And I was like, oh my god. That's, like, such a cool school. And what kinda pushed me over is I did a job shadow, and the piece of advice that stuck with me was like, hey if you're gonna do something with film, pick a bigger school. And I was like,  

00:09:45:15 - 00:09:46:02 

oh, dang.  

00:09:48:00 - 00:09:51:18 

So how did you come to the decision you wanted to be a flight attendant?  

00:09:51:20 - 00:09:59:18 

I think that ever since I was a little kid, it was always pushed into the narrative that you have to go to college to be successful.  

00:09:59:20 - 00:10:00:05 

Uh-huh.  

00:10:00:07 - 00:10:18:02 

And I feel like especially in better communities, like, I'm very grateful to be a part of the community that I'm a part of here at Seneca. But I think that sometimes teachers along with parents and just, like, people in general in the community tend to, like, say that you need to go to to college be successful.  

00:10:18:04 - 00:10:18:19 

Mhmm.  

00:10:18:21 - 00:10:51:06 

I think now that we're getting further along away from that perspective, like, I think recently, especially, that especially since COVID, like, it's changed completely where you don't necessarily, like, have the idea that you need to go to college. And so I think my perspective on college started changing around the end of my junior year. I had, one of my cousins drop out of school, and she started working full time at a company. And she was a lot happier, and she Mhmm. Was making a lot more money than she used to be as a full time college student.  

00:10:51:08 - 00:11:07:19 

So I think seeing her do that and, like, kind of realizing, oh, maybe I don't like school as much because I don't like having to do all these assignments, and I'd rather be working full time and, like, exploring the world, especially. That's always been one of my top goals since I was a kid is to explore.  

00:11:07:21 - 00:11:08:06 

You know,  

00:11:08:08 - 00:11:28:10 

I I love to hear that. I've because we talked we had an episode. We talked about it, like, how there's so many pressures in high school. Yeah. Like, what do you want to, like, do when your order? I feel like you are just such a great, like, role model for everyone because I mean, you know that, like, Connor Connor's gonna go be great and, like, you don't have to go to college. That's something that's And   

00:11:28:12 - 00:11:37:16 

at the same time, you're more than welcome to go to college. I have lots of friends who wanna go to college and are so excited. I'm so excited for them, but I just don't see it in my future, really.  

00:11:37:18 - 00:11:45:12 

Yeah. Was there ever a point in time, like, I guess earlier in your earlier high school years that you did want to go, like, to a four year school?  

00:11:45:14 - 00:12:16:06 

Oh, for sure. Like, going into high school, even middle school, I always, like I've just always wanted the best for myself, and I think I expect really high things of myself because my parents expect high things along with other people in my life. But I was always, like, determined to go to the top four school four year school year in university or even, like, other there were a lot of different options for me, basically. Like, when I was younger, I always talked about wanting to go to Harvard Law School. And then I was like, woah. Woah. Woah. Let's calm down there.  

00:12:16:08 - 00:12:49:12 

And then at one point when I was living in Florida, I wanted to go to Florida State University because I was being offered a scholarship for a full year full four year ride, honestly, if I continued with a program that I was a part of down there. But it just my my perspective basically shifted as I got older and sort of sort of, like, started to think about money, started to think about my goals in life, and it was just, like, it kind of clicked overnight, honestly, when I saw my family friend who was a flight attendant and, like, see her life shift around, basically.  

00:12:49:14 - 00:12:49:29 

I  

00:12:50:08 - 00:13:06:07 

feel like the perspective of college has changed so much because you used to, like it used to be that you are lucky to go to college. Yeah. But now it's kind of, oh, you have to go to college Yeah. To do anything or be anything. Yeah. But then it's kinda going back down. Okay. Like, oh, wait. It actually works not going to college. Yes.  

00:13:06:09 - 00:13:07:11 

You can do something else.  

00:13:07:13 - 00:13:26:06 

Which there there are loads of different, like, options for education also. Like, trade school is a great thing to go to at a lot more affordable of a price rather than a four year private university or even a public university. Same thing with community college. Like, that's like there are different options, basically, rather than just going to college.  

00:13:26:08 - 00:13:31:04 

I feel like here at Seneca, especially, we're so lucky. We have so many different options. Like, we have vocational  

00:13:31:06 - 00:13:31:24 

school people  

00:13:31:26 - 00:13:36:14 

go to and, like, right out of there, they can get job a right out of Yeah. Working there.  

00:13:36:16 - 00:13:47:13 

And it's like a great program, and there are so many different great programs here at Seneca that I feel like push loads of options for you, basically, rather than just narrowing it down to one thing.  

00:13:47:15 - 00:13:51:29 

Well, now you guys have me thinking. What was your favorite year high school and why? Oh.  

00:13:52:01 - 00:14:10:05 

Oh. That's a great question, actually. I think that my favorite year was definitely senior year at Seneca. I think it's been so fun this year getting to do a lot of different things. Going back to what you said, Cami, actually, senior project, I think that was like my biggest stressor all year long.  

00:14:10:07 - 00:14:11:01 

Yeah. Definitely.  

00:14:11:03 - 00:14:42:11 

But at the same time, it opened up limitless opportunities for me and everyone else that did it. I feel like I really enjoyed my senior project. I got to job shadow a flight attendant actually and go on a trip out to California. And Woah. It was the coolest experience ever. And I think that also helps solidify my decision on wanting to be a flight attendant. And I just had a fun time researching stuff, doing my action portion on the project. Was just a fun experience overall. This year, it's been fun doing all those senior activities also.  

00:14:42:13 - 00:14:44:28 

Yeah. Just yesterday, we had our senior breakfast and that like  

00:14:45:00 - 00:14:45:17 

What was that?  

00:14:45:19 - 00:14:55:02 

It was so fun. It was like just so awesome seeing everyone come together as like, a community rather than just a school grade, honestly. And it was, like, very heartwarming.  

00:14:55:04 - 00:14:57:26 

It was a lot of fun for the little bit of time I was there for.  

00:14:58:15 - 00:15:00:03 

So what was your favorite year? Yeah.  

00:15:02:26 - 00:15:11:20 

It's hard to pick between junior and senior year. I don't like freshman, sophomore year.  I was a little baby. because  

00:15:14:14 - 00:15:21:15 

I've done a lot I did a lot of things my junior year. I acted a lot of things. And there was the lip dub junior year, which Oh,  

00:15:23:15 - 00:15:27:23 

I really enjoyed despite what people might say. I really it.  

00:15:27:25 - 00:15:29:06 

I love the lip dub too.  

00:15:29:08 - 00:15:30:05 

I love the lip dub.  

00:15:30:07 - 00:15:43:21 

The the lip dub was another senior project one of our seniors did that was a part of SVTV just like London and basically just walked around with a big speaker and your lip syncing to a song and  

00:15:43:26 - 00:15:44:25 

Two songs we had.  

00:15:44:27 - 00:15:56:23 

We had two songs. Yeah. We worked super hard, all the directors. Like, London, you are a director to make sure all the sections look good and organized and, like, everything came together very beautifully, and it represented our school very well.  

00:15:56:25 - 00:15:59:29 

Yes. And back to that idea of community here. A hundred percent. Yeah.  

00:16:00:01 - 00:16:17:24 

For sure. I think, honestly, I would probably have to go with my junior year just based on the amount of things I did. I was just very involved in a lot of my activities, and I also enjoyed a lot of schoolwork. What were some things you were involved in your junior year? Same thing. JROTC and  

00:16:19:29 - 00:16:21:12 

SVTV again, like I said.  

00:16:23:07 - 00:16:29:11 

I like I enjoyed a lot of the projects that I made in my classes. Mhmm. God, I'm trying to think of.  

00:16:30:03 - 00:16:32:15 

It's hard on the spot. Yeah.  

00:16:32:17 - 00:16:36:08 

Just come up with something. It honestly  

00:16:37:04 - 00:16:40:29 

I think remembering the feeling it gave you rather than, like, the actual thing  

00:16:41:01 - 00:16:42:10 

you did is Yeah. Yeah.  

00:16:42:12 - 00:16:42:27 

It's more  

00:16:42:29 - 00:16:43:18 

important. Yeah. They  

00:16:43:20 - 00:16:53:14 

can agree. Well, if there was one thing you could do different throughout your high school career, what would it be? And is there something you're glad that you're glad that you did?  

00:16:54:03 - 00:17:28:04 

I think and what I would do differently, I think, like you're saying, London, like, you are a part of a lot of different clubs here at school. I think I would try and, like, do more things, a part of the school and outside the school, honestly, just to get more experience with different things. My sophomore year, I was at a different school down in Florida, actually. And that year, we there were a lot of opportunities just like there are here at Seneca to start up your own club. And I remember I actually founded a literacy club based on Taylor Swift lyrics after that.  

00:17:28:09 - 00:17:30:19 

I was a part of myself. Love it. Love that.  

00:17:30:21 - 00:17:43:22 

And it was the most fun I think I ever had. I got close with a lot of people. I still have those connections, and it's just like it was such a fun club. And it was very much so not anything to stress about, and it was just a fun time, honestly.  

00:17:43:24 - 00:17:44:09 

I  would be  

00:17:44:11 - 00:17:45:05 

part of that club.  

00:17:45:07 - 00:17:47:03 

That's it. It was very laughing.  

00:17:47:05 - 00:17:49:24 

That new idea for a Seneca Valley club.  

00:17:50:04 - 00:17:53:15 

Any student listening that's like, wanna get involved in a club  

00:17:53:17 - 00:17:54:16 

That's how you do it.  

00:17:54:18 - 00:17:56:28 

Contact me. Is  

00:17:57:24 - 00:18:34:21 

there anything you you wanna ask, London? Was there anything that you enjoyed or that you would do different? Time management. Time management. That's probably Yeah. That's the biggest thing in school life and even my personal life. Time management was the one thing that almost kinda completely knocked me down. I agree. Because I do quite literally everything at the last minute. Yeah. A good question. And it has and it has definitely, like, kicked me on multiple occasions, so I would just get better at that.  

00:18:34:23 - 00:19:01:10 

And also getting involved earlier. Like, I did a lot of involvement with, like, my programs junior and senior year, but sophomore freshman and sophomore year, I definitely was a lot more in the back. Mhmm. Probably because I was still very new. But Yeah. I just was very shy. I didn't wanna, like I was okay with being a background character. Well, what is one piece of advice you'd give to your underclassmen self?  

00:19:02:28 - 00:19:06:28 

Yeah. I can't even come up with one. There are so many different things I'd say to my freshman self.  

00:19:07:00 - 00:19:08:21 

What's one that, like, stood out to you the most?  

00:19:08:23 - 00:19:31:16 

I'd say just get out there, honestly. Try new things. Experience life as much as you can because life outside of high school is gonna continue on, but you only get four years, so make the most of it. Network with different people. Make those new connections. Like, just just try your hardest also just in general, but don't put too much pressure on yourself, I guess.  

00:19:31:18 - 00:19:51:23 

What about you? I should have pushed myself a little harder because since I knew how bad of a procrastinator I was, I didn't wanna take harder classes because I knew I knew I was going to do everything at the last minute. But then ended I up with classes where, like, oh, this is really like, this is too easy, and I'm I'm bored. So I should've  

00:19:53:16 - 00:19:59:26 

pushed myself a little harder at my main, like, subjects and stuff like that. And I should just talk to more people.  

00:19:59:28 - 00:20:08:25 

Well, London and Connor, we wish you we we, from Between the Bells, we wish you the best on your journeys. We know you're both are gonna do great things.  

00:20:08:27 - 00:20:11:14 

A wonderful future filled with lots of happiness  

00:20:11:16 - 00:20:12:27 

and lots of love. Oh, yes.  

00:20:12:29 - 00:20:14:08 

Fingers crossed. Thank you.  

00:20:14:10 - 00:20:20:25 

Yes. We wish you guys the absolute best in your future endeavors, and wish you nothing but the best. To  

00:20:20:27 - 00:20:24:23 

To anyone else who is listening or I don't know.  

00:20:24:25 - 00:20:25:10 

It's like if you're  

00:20:25:12 - 00:20:35:10 

a senior and you're graduating, good luck to you. You're gonna do great things. And have above everything else, have a good time. Like, have the time of your life. Yeah.  

00:20:35:12 - 00:20:38:05 

Well, thank you guys so for much Yeah. Of course.  

00:20:38:08 - 00:20:39:26 

And thank you for listening. Thank  

00:20:39:28 - 00:20:41:16 

you. Bye. Bye.