This year, Northside Prep is reintroducing the Senior Committee, a development that will impact this year’s seniors in many new ways.
What is the Senior Committee?
The Senior Committee is a group of students and teachers that meets biweekly to plan senior events. Ultimately, Senior Committee is all about community. This year, they are focused not only on improving the experiences of Northside seniors but also on ensuring that the graduating class can leave a lasting, memorable impact on Northside.
Senior Alejandra Hernandez Cornejo is the founder and president of Senior Committee. She was one of the first students to push for its implementation this school year. Her responsibilities include organizing meetings, communicating with sponsors, and planning fundraising events.
The Senior Committee has been focusing on senior year expenses, from graduation costs to college applications. According to Alejandra, senior activities such as graduation, prom, luncheon, and the new grad night at Six Flags will cost around $435. Alejandra says, “[Senior Committee] intends to fundraise to lower the cost and therefore make senior activities more accessible.” Senior Committee has been brainstorming fundraising events, such as “Pie a Senior,” where students can pay $5 to pie a senior of their choice, or “Soak a Senior,” creating fun ways for students to support this cause.
The Importance of Senior Committee
Ms. Shah (Special Education), a sponsor for the Senior Committee, discussed the importance of communication within the Northside community and how the committee plans to strengthen these values. Ms. Shah sponsored the Senior Committee because she found the idea meaningful, especially the goal of bringing back a senior gift.
“What they’re aiming to do is leave more of a mark and say this is something we’re leaving for future generations to remember us by,” said Ms. Shah.
However, the Senior Committee is about more than making our seniors’ last year memorable. They also want to support current seniors throughout the school year by addressing students’ financial obstacles and any confusion they may be facing, particularly with AP fees becoming mandatory. The Senior Committee intends to address this issue by improving communications and awareness. Ms. Shah says, “We need to get the information about AP fees out in a timely manner so that students can make informed decisions on whether or not they take certain tests.” Improving communication could come in the form of revising the email systems to ensure that everyone is receiving updates from administration and gathering more data from students.
Getting Involved
In the coming months, there will be opportunities for all seniors to get involved in the Senior Committee. For the class of 2026 senior gift, the Senior Committee plans to create a community garden, where all seniors are encouraged to contribute. The goal is to create a unique space created by as many seniors as possible.
During the second semester, Mr. Curry, Ms. Qazi, and Ms. Shah will run a colloquium where students can volunteer to help restore Northside’s front and back yards.
The Senior Committee has big plans for this year, and Northside looks forward to all that will be accomplished.
