With Commencement just around the corner, freshmen are starting to realize just how soon their favorite seniors will be gone.

For the last eight months, via teams and extracurricular activities, many seniors and freshmen have bonded. The window of overlap for the class of 2022 and 2019 is short, but for freshmen, seniors can be some of their most influential friends.

Freshman Benning Johnson met Magnolia Armstrong ’19 and Sophie Prouty ’19 through the Swimming and Diving team this Winter. Benning will miss “laughing and messing around” with Sophie, and Magnolia’s “contagious smile.”

Outside of the pool Benning became close with Zoe Okaisabor ’19 during the Multicultural Student Union and Wildest Cats meetings. He’s going to miss Zoe’s “smiling face that brightens everyone’s day.” Zoe, touched by Benning’s comment, says she will miss Benning because, “he gives the best hugs on my worst days.”

A bunch of freshman told The Willistonian how much they will miss senior Rachel Burke next year. In response to The Willistonian’s inquiry about why she will miss her freshman friends next year, Rachel joked, “Why do underclassmen love me so much?” Ultimately, she said she, “thinks it is important to be friendly and supportive to the younger students around.” Rachel always tries her best to make 9th graders feel comfortable.

“I know what it’s like to be a freshman, and I know how intimidating upperclassmen can be,” Rachel said. “So if there’s anyway I can ease that transition and make people feel welcome on campus or on a team, I am more than willing to do that.”

Freshman Maeve Reynolds met Rachel through Field Hockey this fall and this Spring the two are both on the lacrosse team. Maeve says she will “miss joking around with her [Rachel] and making fun of each other.”

Natalie Stott and Rachel were also teammates during field hockey season. Natalie is going to miss Rachel’s joking nature as well as her positive presence on campus.

“She always makes me laugh and makes fun of me,” Natalie said. “She is just a really good person to have around, as well as a good leader on the field.”

Emma Merrill and Rachel play lacrosse together; Emma called Rachel a “genuinely awesome person.”

“She’s really funny, and great to mess around with. She’s super easy to be around and will make you laugh no matter what,” Emma added.

Emma also looks up to senior Maura Holden, her teammate on both the Hockey and Lacrosse teams. Maura reached out to Emma in the fall before hockey season. Emma called Maura a “great leader and awesome captain,” and told The Willistonian Maura is, “someone anyone can go to in order to talk about anything. She is always looking out for you and will always put a smile on your face.”

Jack Haddad ’22 and Reilly Gluz ’19, have played the same sports — water polo, swimming, and lacrosse — every trimester since Jack started at Williston in 7^th grade. Jack is going to miss how “crazy” and “energetic” Reilly is. Plus, according to Jack, he is the “best hype man.”

Both Tevah Rose ’22 and Noe Perry-Greene ’22, became friends with Maddie Elsea ’19 during play and musical rehearsals. Noe met Maddie through last year’s fall play Our Town and loves Maddie’s “kindness, compassion, sense of humor, and creativity.”

Tevah befriended Maddie during Crazy for You rehearsal this year. “She noticed I was having a hard time and helped me out,” explained Tevah. Tevah called Maddie a “very kind and caring person who will go out of her way to help others whether she knows them or not.”

Shoko Ishikawa told The Willistonian about two seniors she’s going to miss next year. Shoko isn’t sure what she will do without Ella Goodman, one of Shoko’s proctors in 194. Shoko described Ella as “very kind.” Shoko says she “always miss[es] her, even now.” Shoko met Tayah Sommer ’19 during softball this year. According to Shoko, Tayah is “so funny and always makes me happy.”

“I love them so much!” Shoko said with a huge smile.

Rylie Tirrell ’22 and Ava Larkin ’22, both members of the Swimming and Diving team, are going to miss Sydney Joyce next year. Rylie says she wishes Sydney would “never leave.”

“Syd is a big part of the swimming and diving team,” Rylie said. “She is always cheering people on and is there for us in and out of the pool. She is one of the best captains we could ask for.”

Ava added that Sydney has “been a role model for me and has been a huge help with everything. She makes swimming a lot more fun.” Ava also mentioned what an amazing role model senior Sally Alrutz, one of the other girls swimming and diving captains, has been.

Sydney says she is going to miss Rylie and Ava next year too.

“Ava has been one of my closest friends for the last two years, and it’s going to be weird not having her,” Sydney said. “I have grown really close with Rylie over the last two years and I’m really going to miss both of them.”