By Kate Hegel, Assistant Sports Editor

Since it first began with the founding class of 2017, locker decorating has been an essential tradition of senior year at Trinity Hall. When a student finalizes her college decision, her peers decorate her locker with the name and colors of her chosen college in celebration of her hard work and achievement.

For many in the Class of 2021, the tradition has been long awaited: “I was so excited to see my locker decorated,” senior Ally Lawson said. “Since freshman year, I have always loved seeing all the posters the seniors made for each other.”

Locker decorating also reminds seniors of how far they have come since their first year at Trinity Hall, “It’s really weird seeing all the decorated lockers because it’s still hard to believe I’m a senior and that we’ll all be going to college next year,” senior Katherine McCarthy said. “It felt like a right of passage almost, and I knew it would be one step closer to graduation.”

The Trinity Hall Tribune checked in with 10 more students with newly decorated lockers celebrating their college decisions. The seniors have selected schools in a variety of locations and are looking forward to what the future holds for them after high school. 

Courtney Cushman, Drew University

“I plan on majoring in psychology, which is really exciting because Drew has a really great psych department. When I toured the campus this past winter, I was able to hear about different student research projects specific to my major. This touring experience made me fall in love with the school!”

Ainsley Gmelich, New York University

“I am most excited about not living in a suburban or rural area next year, so [NYU’s] campus in the city stood out to me the most. The Gallatin School for Individualized Study is unique to NYU, which is why I think it is a good fit.”

Luciana Kaja, Florida Atlantic University

“What really makes FAU the best fit for me is their recently accredited medical school, which I know will incentivize students like me so that my dream of becoming an OB/GYN will become a reality. I am most excited to be independent, make an amazing group of friends and explore my new warm environment!”

Madison Kelly, Desales University (Softball)

“I chose DeSales because of the small size and the opportunity to be able to play softball for them. After meeting the coach and the team for the first time and seeing how welcoming they were, I knew that DeSales was the best fit for me. I am most looking forward to meeting new people and getting the opportunity to play softball at the collegiate level.”

Ally Lawson, Clemson University

“What really made Clemson stand out to me was the school spirit! I have always enjoyed the Royal Rumble competition at Trinity Hall, so seeing the students so excited and proud to be a Tiger everyday really made me want to be a part of the Clemson community! I am excited to not only further my passion for architecture next fall, but I’m excited to also become more independent and make some new friends!”

Kathleen Lee, Northwestern University

“[Northwestern] gives me the best of both worlds in so many aspects. It combines strong academics with strong athletics and school spirit and is equally impressive in STEM and humanities disciplines as more artistic spheres like performance arts. I look forward to playing in an orchestra again and curating a course list that combines my hobbies and interests with my academic studies.”

Katherine McCarthy, Siena College

“[Siena College’s] great academics and friendliness stood out to me the most. Siena is a small college and that’s really one of the big reasons it felt right for me. I’m excited to be able to meet new people next year.”

Hannah Noorigian, Clemson University

 “One thing that really stood out to me about Clemson was its community. Although Clemson has a bigger campus, I loved how close and spirited the community was. Although my home will always be New Jersey, I am excited to call South Carolina my home for the next four years and explore everything that it has to offer.” 

Mary Rosivack, The University of South Carolina

“I’m beyond excited to broaden my horizons by going to another state and meeting new people. I have lived in New Jersey my whole life and have gone to small schools during that time so the idea of going away to a big state school with all the traditions and events that will come along with it is very exciting to me.”

Jessica Zebrowski, Fordham University (Swimming)

“When first looking into Fordham their astounding education, sense of community, and beautiful campus were the first things I noticed! A sense of community is the most important aspect of a school to me because I love to get involved and while being a part of the swim team I can’t wait to get more involved around the campus as well.”