Senior sunrise took place on Thursday, which marked the first event of the year for the school’s senior Class of 2026.  

The event took place early Thursday morning, well before school started and before the busy day of classes.  

Seniors gathered at Larz Anderson Park to watch the sunrise, continuing a tradition begun by the Upper School Senate in 2022. 

Students started arriving at the park around 5:30 a.m. for this yearly event.  

“It was hard to wake up that early,” Meera Gandhi ’26 said, “but it was totally worth it because the sunrise was beautiful and almost everyone in the grade came.” 

Seniors gathered in small groups on the grass, waiting for the sunrise before heading to school. Many students brought snacks and drinks to share, and students said it was a good chance to bond as a class at the start of their final year. 

This year, Senior Class President Adrian Houndegla ‘26, along with several senior volunteers, were responsible for organizing the event.  

“It was a community-based thing,” Houndegla said. “Everyone was offering rides for each other. I, myself, got donuts and hot chocolate for everyone.” 

Houndegla woke up at 4:00 a.m. to provide rides for his classmates and to make sure everything was ready. After watching the sunrise, the seniors went to breakfast together in Brookline.  

As more people arrived at Larz Anderson, students said how they started to realize it really was their senior year. 

Many students described the bittersweet feelings they felt at the event.

“It was nice, but at the same time, kind of sad.” Houndegla said. 

The seniors took photos and decorated their cars with chalk. Houndegla reflected that this moment made him feel like “really a senior” and that this was his final year.  

Senior sunrise is a tradition that each class has kept alive.

This year, however, the seniors are planning to add to it: to start a new tradition at the end of the year and mark the conclusion of their high school journey.  

“One big thing that we want to do is a senior sunset,” Houndegla said. “Start with a new sunrise, and then you end with a sunset.” 

Many seniors appreciate the effort put into these events and look forward to all the activities and fun events coming up this year. 

“I think things like this are great for our grade because they bring us closer together and overall will make the year super fun,” Ghandi said. 

With more upcoming events like Homecoming, Prom, and Senior Sunset, the Class of 2026 is ready to make their last year memorable.