Senior pictures, check. Senior picnic, check. Red and White Ball, check. Senior Prom, check. Athletic Senior nights, check. Senior Skip Day, check.
June is coming up quickly for Fairfield Warde High School seniors and they have one last box to check: graduation.
But, before they do this, the Mustangs reflect on their four years spent among their peers within the brick walls of Warde, and wonder what all of it means to them.
When freshman walk in the building for orientation, the first thing they are presented with are the big steel letters in the front lobby that display the Warde Acronym. Welcoming, Academic, Respectful, Dynamic, Ethical. All things that have stuck with Warde seniors when they describe the community at FWHS.
“What it means to be a Mustang is to have a sense of community around you,” said senior Brooke Armas. “The places you’ll go and games you’ll watch will always be surrounded by friends and people you know.”
Armas highlights that a major part of the community of Warde is friendships you form. No matter the grade, all students can be seen socializing at the end of the day or enjoying the camaraderie of Battle of the Houses.
“Warde is super inclusive and I love that about this school,” said senior Kayla Cerminaro.
Beyond being part of the community at FWHS, seniors think that participation is a major part of representing a Warde student.
“I think to be a mustang it means to be super spirited and go to all the sporting events,” said Cerminaro. “All the Ludlowe vs Warde games mean a lot to my high school experience.”
Mustangs love to cheer their friends on, and value this when representing the mustang, especially in rivalry games. Charlie DiGiacomo, a top player on the boys lacrosse team knows that not only watching games, but also putting in the work represents what it is to be a Mustang.
“To be a Mustang I think it means to work hard and have good dedication,” said DiGiacomo. “You can see that a lot with our sports teams as well as our academic excellence.”
DiGiacomo thinks that beating Ludlowe in Lacrosse last year proves that hard work pays off. Practice in the off-season makes for a successful outcome, an attitude he believes many Mustangs have.
To combine all aspects of the senior’s perception of being a Mustang isn’t easy, but Ms. MacIntosh, an AP Government teacher known and beloved by many seniors, offered her perspective.
“For this community being a Mustang is really important in a sense that we do lift each other up,” said Ms. Mac. “When it’s time to come together we really really do come together.”
Students at Warde support each other in good times and bad and are often heard asking their peers about Carillon or sports you wouldn’t normally hear about, like fencing.
“The class of 2020 has really done that well,” continued said Ms. Mac. “Even today in class I heard ‘Oh, when is your game?’ and ‘How’s that gonna go?’”
The Class of 2020 will say farewell to this brick building and all of the memories it has held over the past four years in just a few short months. It is likely that students will find themselves in communities similar to Warde based on the leadership they have developed during their time at Warde. Ms. Mac predicts that the Class of 2020 will continue to show their true character, beyond who you are in the classroom.
So now, it is time to check the last box.
Seniors will make this move with pride, knowing what it truly means to be a Mustang.