As the seniors prepare to leave DePaul College Prep, and gear up for future plans, the student government has done an excellent job of strengthening the community and reinforcing the importance of senior year. From whole-grade trips to Six Flags, organizing a senior sunrise, and a friendsgiving, Student government has worked hard to create an unforgettable last year at DePaul Prep for the class of 2026. These events were planned wholeheartedly with great teamwork to bring together seniors in the chaos of college applications and exams.
When planning these senior year activities, the student government focused on creating traditions for underclassmen to follow, and making sure every senior felt included in a memorable and fun year. Deciding and coordinating events was a very collaborative process that extended beyond the seven senior class representatives meetings, and continued through everyday conversations with peers, friends, and senior parents. The goal was to find experienced students who would attend and enjoy while also providing a sense of community within the grade.
Charlie Greene, one of the seven senior class representatives, has been working with his teammates to collaborate on ideas for the senior events. Charlie shared that it has been an exciting and rewarding experience to lead the senior class through such a fun time as his high school years come to an end.
Greene adds that coordinating these events have come with some challenges. Each month when a new senior event is brought into conversation, it is posted onto the senior Instagram page, for students to vote. There has been a lack of student response in some forms and has been a challenge to get students to take initiative in filling out the form. Another challenge was finding locations and keeping costs low so everyone was able to participate. Balancing student ideas with budget, timing, and school guidelines meant taking every idea into account and through a detailed behind the scenes process. The seven senior class representatives work with Mr. Peterson and Ms. Parker firsthand, and then follow through to confirm plans and make them possible with administration.
To ensure student voices are heard, the team collected input through hallway conversations, lunchtime chats, and the DCP seniors Instagram page. Greene shares that looking back onto these events he hopes everyone feels a sense of community and appreciation for spending their final year together.
Greene shares that his advice for the next senior representatives is to listen to peers with intention to fulfill a meaningful experience, and collaborate with senior parents because student government is the voice of all our students and is most efficient when it is reflecting the voices of the students it is representing.
