As a gentle surf broke against the Juno shoreline and the skies transitioned from gray to a supple peach, members of the Class of 2025 welcomed the day, the first of their final week as students, with fellowship, food, and bittersweet reflection.

On Mon., April 28, seniors gathered on the sands of Juno Beach at Marcinski Rd. to kick off a week full of traditions, events, and goodbyes.

It was an early morning for attendees as they met around 6:30 a.m. to watch the sunrise, take pictures, reflect on memories, and– most importantly– spend quality time together as a class for one of the last times in their Benjamin career.

Giancarlo Di Leo shared what he did that morning: “I set an alarm for 5:10 a.m., but the actual sunrise started at 6:30 a.m. I wore my USNA (United States Naval Academy) marine shirt and then got Bagel Boyz after the sunrise with some friends.”

One of the major reasons Senior Sunrise is so memorable is that it is a time-honored tradition. Year after year, each graduating class gets the opportunity to make the event the starting point for the end of their time at Benjamin.

“Senior Sunrise was a great opportunity to have one final moment in nature with the class of 2025. We were able to all come together, reflect on our time at Benjamin, and really have a positive outlook for the rest of our last week on campus. I thoroughly enjoyed it and think it should be a lasting tradition,” said Jonathan Vidal.

Getting to show off college choices and take pictures with classmates is another reason why the sunrise is so special.

Bella Marx explained, “I think it was super fun to be with everyone as a grade and watch the sunrise. We got to see everyone wearing the college they’re going to on their shirt. We also got super cute pictures, so we can always remember it!”

Senior Sunrise was a wonderful way for the class of 2025 to kick off their last week of school. They surrounded themselves in nature, ate breakfast, and bonded with their classmates.