The majority of high school is spent worrying about one thing: college. When the day finally comes to commit somewhere, students often want to celebrate, show off all their hard work and spread the word by submitting their college selection to the Instagram account, @westfieldhighschoolseniors.
The account was established in 2020 during COVID-19 as a tool to show where members of the senior class were going to college, since they were unable to celebrate their commitments on the annual May 1 Commitment Day here at WHS.
Thus, @westfieldhighschoolseniors was created, which has garnered over 3,000 followers since its creation. Due to its success, the account has been carried on, each year being taken over by a WHS senior of that year’s graduating class. The current student in charge of the Instagram account for the Class of 2024 (who usually remains unnamed) explained that all they did was direct message the account last year asking to be the one to carry out the role for this year.
Whoever is in charge of the account is able to choose the theme of the Instagram posts. For example, last year, each post showcased a senior portrait with the school’s logo, and a blurred image of the college campus featured behind the portrait.
This year, the senior in charge of the account commented, “I wanted to do a Polaroid theme because I thought it was nostalgic in a way because leaving high school and going to college is also nostalgic.”
On each post, they use a handwritten font to write the names of individuals on top of a Polaroid-shaped image which includes the student’s senior portrait.
Year to year, the basic information on the post and the process stays the same. Students direct message the account, listing their name, the university they will be attending, their intended major, something they will miss about WHS and they also provide their senior portrait. From there, the student’s information is posted on the account for all followers to see and celebrate. People then flood the comments and repost images to their Instagram stories to show their support.
“I think the account is beneficial for our community because it allows us all to celebrate each other’s accomplishments. Getting into college alone is huge and then the one that you choose is an even bigger, life changing decision and it allows us all to share, repost, send to our families, like, comment and celebrate each other,” explained WHS Senior Maddie Caherly.
WHS Social Studies Teacher Antony Farag said, “It’s so cool seeing every student I know announcing to the public where they’re going and how proud they are, and I am happy every time I see it.”
The Instagram page, @westfieldhighschoolseniors, is a positive way to connect with fellow classmates and celebrate who they have attended school with for over a decade. As high school comes to an end, the account helps unify the graduating class by showing just how far everyone has truly come.