By Cooper Hall, Lola Trent & Bailey Windell

Classes are coming to an end, and summer is just a blink away. Many students are preparing for their upcoming summer vacations; all the planning and preparation are causing students to reflect on their most interesting past summer memories.

Sophomore Kate Boyce is preparing to embark on her second trip to Europe, accompanied by her family. This past summer, she visited Paris, France. She had the unique opportunity to witness the French Open semifinals. Boyce is an avid tennis player, and being able to attend this tournament was a lifetime memory for her.

“My favorite memory in Europe is going to the French Open, where we went to the semifinals. The French Open is a tennis tournament held in Paris every year. It was super cool to see the professional tennis players playing their match,” Boyce said.

While reflecting upon past vacations can be fun, planning the next venture is better. This summer, Boyce will be revisiting Europe with her family once again. However, this time she will be going with her immediate family and several additional family members. She plans to visit Germany, England, Switzerland, Denmark, and France.

“This summer I am going on a trip to Europe. I am going with my nuclear family and my grandparents. I am very excited to be able to gain new experiences, learn about my heritage, and explore what Europe has to offer,” Boyce said.

As the school year ends, graduation is approaching rapidly. The future graduates are excited to spend their last summer doing what they love most; they also spend this time preparing for their next chapter in life. For some seniors, this means college. Preparing for a new school, sports teams, and a new environment is what Senior Ava Griffin is preparing for this summer as she prepares to attend Franklin College. 

“This summ

er, I plan to work and save up some money for college. I am excited to have time to hang out with my friends and tan. This summer also starts my summer workouts for collegiate soccer,” Griffin said.

Graduation does not only affects the seniors. Parents and siblings are being significantly impacted by the graduates’ transition. Sophomore Owen King is one student who is impacted by this year’s graduation. This summer, King is going on a family vacation to celebrate his brother’s graduation. For the rest of the summer, he plans to occupy his time with sports and friends. 

 “This summer break, I am going on vacation with my family. My grandparents are taking us on this trip to celebrate my brother’s graduation from high school. One thing I am excited to do this summer is to spend time hanging out with my friends and enjoying my free time. I also plan to practice sports this summer. I will be practicing basketball, baseball, and possibly soccer,” King said.

Some teens have more laid-back summer plans, such as spending time with friends and family and preparing for the next sports season. With all of the free time high school students acquire in the summer, they have more time to spend with family without the pressure of school assignments. Some sports teams also utilize this free time for students to put in extra efforts toward training for the upcoming season. Freshman Cooper Criddlin is planning on spending his summer doing these exact things. 

“I am going to Michigan to go camping over the summer. My family loves to camp, and I am going on this trip with my whole family. Some of my other plans for this summer are to lock in on football,” Criddlin said. 

Photos capture memories so they can forever live on. As Griffin reflects on her high school years, photos can bring back the best memories. Past vacations are memories that you never want to forget, and photos can help you remember them. Griffin had the opportunity to go to Tennessee with her friends in the past.

“My favorite past summer memory is going to Tennessee with my friends and her family last summer. We had a lot of fun, and we also got to go to Blake Shelton’s bar. We spent a lot of the time hanging out in our cabin,” Griffin said.