Seniors are busy in their final year at North Atlanta, but they say they feel prepared for what’s to come after graduation in May. For the Class of 2015, the ongoing onslaught of activities and class-related obligations will keep them busy. Seniors are preparing for SAT and the ACT. They’re also managing school work along with extracurricular activities. But they’re also doing everything possible to make their last year of secondary education a great one.

The Warrior Wire caught up with several seniors who spoke about their high school experience and about their goals after graduation.

Some seniors seem to be calm and relaxed about their plans after graduation. In this category falls DeAnthony Maeberry who has a 2.5 GPA and who plans on attending Savannah State College in Savannah. Maeberry wants to major in business, so he can own his own barber shop one day. He said he wishes he had studied more in high school and focused more on his work.

The Wire also caught up with Evyn James and Spencer Shelton, two dedicated seniors who are great role models for all underclassmen. James will be attending Virginia Union University on a full scholarship, a scholarship she won thanks to her ongoing academic achievements. She scored a perfect 1600 on the SAT and has earned all As and Bs throughout her high school career. After graduation, James will major in business and marketing and said she wants to be a marketing manager for a corporation in the future. “Even when the days were hard and teachers were throwing assignments at me, knowing that I’ll graduate made it worth it,” she said.

What about those time-strapped seniors, the dedicated ones taking IB classes, maintaining a 4.0 GPA, and playing on varsity teams, both football and baseball? Are there enough hours in the day for a high school student to juggle a schedule like the arduous one above? It obviously can be done because that’s what Spencer Shelton is doing. The busy senior wants to major in public horticulture in college. He is having a hard time choosing which college he likes best, but his top choice is currently the University of Tennessee. He’s also considering playing football at a Division III college like Rhodes College or DePauw University. Shelton said Advanced Math 3 is the hardest class he’s taken at NAHS. He made a B in the rigorous class that was taught by Tiffany Grant. “As an IB student you don’t sleep a lot,” Shelton said.

Even underclassmen recognize the intense workload of seniors. Sophomore Larkin DeLaria comments on the senior workload, saying, “My sister Kendall is a senior in IB. She works so, so hard. I just hope I’ll be prepared by my senior year!”

Seniors will make the best of this year by staying devoted to their work. No dream can be realized without that work, just as no happy graduation day in May can come without grit, determination and plenty of papers and mathematical equations.