With the recent handful of seniors selected to be recognized as outstanding, a common question amongst much of the student body is what exactly does it mean to be an outstanding senior? In short, to be an outstanding senior means to go above and beyond, in all areas, to be involved and passionate about your school, and most importantly, to be inclusive with the entire Millbrook community.

 The way these seniors were selected was by first being nominated by the senior class. After nominations were in, a google form prompted the seniors to vote on ten students in their class to represent Millbrook as Outstanding Seniors. The survey also included class flower, song, and quote. The highly anticipated results of this short survey were announced after school on Friday, December 21. Behold, the Class of 2019 will forever have “High Hopes” by Panic! At the Disco playing in their heads and sunflowers on their mind, as well as Andy Bernard’s quote which reads, “I wish there was a way to know you’re in the good old days before you’ve actually left them.”

 This year’s sixteen seniors are made up athletes, scholars, and students of the arts alike. They are very familiar names with even more familiar faces, as a good majority of their time is spent on campus. Your Outstanding Seniors for the 2018-2019 school year have been recognized for their participation in the arts, such as Sean Prince, Emily Ni, and Connor Larocca, as well as for their participation in sports, such as Alex Santiago, Phillip Burwell, Samari McLean, Peyton Spainhour, and Jon Mitchell. They have also been selected for their participation as Maniacs such as Nianza Nsiambote, Kerrington Keyes, Jayda McNeil, and Fatou Jobe, as well as for their participation in student government, such as Andrea Shealey, Morgan Alexander, Brooke Finnessy, and Mikayla Davis, and all for their participation in the classroom.

 The ceremony to recognize these individuals, as well as to showcase other talented Wildcats, will be held on the morning of February 15 in the large gym. Under the infamous name WinterFest, the event will kick-off at 8:25 once the gym is packed to capacity with students and staff. It will be led by four MCs, Kerrington Keyes, Mikayla Davis, Joslin Nufer, and Gabi Baker, who will keep the audience entertained in between acts. In two different groups, the Outstanding Seniors will be escorted by their parents across the stage while a biography is read glorifying them.

 Senior Carter Taylor said, “I am really excited to see my classmates showcase their talents and to cheer on my peers as Outstanding Seniors.” This has been a Millbrook tradition for over thirty years, subjected to numerous tweaks throughout the times. However, this year we return somewhat to our original ways as WinterFest falls on an early release date which doubles as our Winterbash dance.