PHS Class of 2022: A Look Back 

Senior+t-shirt+design+by+senior+Ally+Casa

Senior t-shirt design by senior Ally Casa

Maddie Pettis, PaperClip Staff/Writer

With graduation around the corner, members of the Class of 2022 have been reflecting on their high school experiences. Even though the past four years may not have been a replica of “High School Musical” or “The Breakfast Club,” many PHS seniors feel that there are some key moments that made each individual experience memorable.

Following the interruption of a global pandemic during the spring of their sophomore year, some would say that the odds were stacked against this graduating class. After speaking with a variety of students who will walk across the stage Friday, June 10th, it is clear that this class was still able to create lasting memories. 

PHS encountered many firsts this past school year. One of them was the establishment of a competitive boys’ volleyball team. “My favorite sports memory has to be winning our final volleyball game, it was a fantastic way to end a fun season,” said senior Alex Peshkov, who was a founding member of the PHS Men’s Volleyball team. He thoroughly enjoyed getting to watch the program flourish. 

Peshkov’s future is bright as he heads to Durham to attend the University of New Hampshire this fall. 

Friendship is important to senior Emma Milks, who said her favorite memories were “Probably just going on drives and getting food with friends” during the duration of high school. 

Ellie Seefried also enjoyed finding her people, specifically during sophomore year when she “Became good friends with people in, like, the junior and senior class through sports and everything, and I made really good friendships.” 

Both Milks and Seefried will continue to make new friendships as they travel down south for college in the fall. Milks will be attending the University of South Carolina to major in business and minor in Spanish, whereas Seefried will attend Elon University in North Carolina to major in sports management and marketing. 

Similarly to her teammate Seefried, senior Julia Roelofs reflects on the past four years that she has spent playing varsity lacrosse. When asked what her favorite high school memory was, she responded “Winning the championship freshman year with my sister.” 

Roelofs will reunite with her sister on the field next year, but this time at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine. 

When it comes to classes, seniors appreciated the ease of relaxed courses that balanced out more challenging ones during their high school career. Peter Wool states his favorite grade as “freshman year probably just because it was fun,” and recalls one of his favorite freshman classes in which he and friends “just played clash royale every day.” 

Wool will be at Manchester Community College in the fall for its two-year welding program. 

As emotions increase and goodbyes are said, the Class of 2022 reflects bittersweetly on this chapter that has come to an end. Whether it was winning a state championship, goofing around in class, or finding lifelong friends, PHS granted its graduating class wholesome opportunities to create lasting memories.