by: Amaya Neal-Tysor

SANFORD – The sunrise represents a new day and new beginnings. For seniors at Lee County High School Friday, it represented the unofficial beginning of the year long celebration of their senior year. 

Put together by the Student Government Association, the hope was to bring the senior class together at the beginning of the year for the first of many events. 

“The purpose of Senior Sunrise is for everyone in the senior class to come together,” said LCHS assistant principal Marissa Fux, “join as a community and really just start off their year with a bang. Add some razzle dazzle.

“We did it this late in the year to celebrate the first month of seniors being seniors and just something special for them,” explained SGA advisor Nikki Biles. 

For the about 50 seniors in Paul Gay Stadium Friday morning, it allowed them an opportunity to reflect on where they started and the beginning of their final lap around the track.

“Being a senior makes me feel like I actually accomplished being through high school these last few years, especially with COVID going on,” said senior Carolina Medrano. “I feel as though, we are accomplished. As soon as we graduate, the next step is life.

“Being a senior makes me feel accomplished about what I’ve done over the last three years,” said senior Rich Johnson. “This being my final year, just seeing all my success play out.”

For some, like senior class president Sarah Lambeth, it also was a time to reflect on personal growth over her high school career. 

“As a freshman who was so shy and coming to now, as the senior class president, I’ve grown, not only with the people I love but with myself,” Lambeth said. “I think its important for everyone to know, you might start somewhere, but you’re going to finish somewhere else too.”

Fux hopes to see the Senior Sunrise become an annual event at LCHS. Fux is working with Biles to begin new traditions throughout the year for seniors to look forward to from the first day they walk through the halls as freshmen.

“We were just trying to find ways to start new traditions at Lee County High School because everyone belongs here,” Fux explained. “Its a new year and we are trying to start our own legacy.

For the last few years with COVID,” Biles added, “seniors haven’t gotten a lot of opportunities. So this year, with things being more back to normal, we want to have events for seniors.”

The events do not end at sunrise for the senior class. There will also be a senior sunset for the senior class in the spring.