For JHS seniors, ‘It can only go uphill’

Schools have been a crucible for many of the issues of the last year: The need to keep everyone safe from COVID-19 has been in tension with the mandate to educate and the desire for normalcy. Navigating that razor’s edge has been challenging for all – not least the young people whose senior year was shaped by crisis.

The Monitor met with five Jefferson High School seniors a week away from graduating: Harley Bailey, Miles Dodge, Derek Rasch, Rutger Shultz, and Abbie Youde. It was a group that reflected the tight connections of a small school, laughing at and with each other and finishing each other’s sentences. They spoke openly about the challenges of the last year; the politics of division; and their hopes for what comes next.

The interview has been edited for length and clarity.