Between the four of them, they spent a total of 52 years as students in Avon Schools, so these members of the Avon High School class of '25 — Mercy Olaniyan, Adelyn Wyndham, Luke Sigler, and Rion Bolden — have a lot to say about their experiences in Avon from kindergarten through this month's graduation ceremony. You'll want to listen to every minute of their fun, candid, and deeply encouraging conversation with Dr. Wyndham. Along the way, you'll hear about some of their most memorable moments and what their plans are beyond graduation. Listen until the end so you can find out why seniors are wearing swim goggles around town. You'll also learn Cinnamon the llama, karaoke during tennis practice, and the students' ideas about how Avon Schools could be even better for the class of '26 and beyond. You may even get an answer to who would win a foot race between Rion and Dr. Wyndham. (There's some debate about the results.)
Seniors' Advice to the Class of '29
"Every opportunity that you're presented with, take it. Take it and have fun with it. Really get to know people who can help you in the long run. And when you make it up there, check your ego at the door. ... Just make sure that every opportunity that someone hands you, take it, have fun with it, and make it your dream." Rion Bolden
"A lot of 8th graders come into high school with the mindset that they're all that and that they're cooler than everybody. ... I think that making sure that you're not taking away from opportunities you could have because you're not having an open mind and you're thinking oh, that's not cool or oh, I don't want to do that. I think that it's really important that you're going to high school to learn, to get friends, and to make good experiences and memories." Mercy Olaniyan
"Show up and take the chance. Even if you've never done it before, just show up. If it's a club or an extracurricular, just give it a shot. You don't know who you're going to meet in there. You could meet your best friend in there. You just don't know. You have to give yourself the opportunity to excel." Luke Sigler
"Find what you're passionate about and pursue it wholeheartedly. I could never sing, so choir is definitely not my passion. But I know a lot of people who are in choir and they love it so much. For me academics has been a passion because I love learning. I've thrown myself into academics and it's brought me a lot of good experiences. And it's appreciated after you graduate, too." Adelyn Wyndham