As graduation approaches, seniors at South Windsor High School are being given the opportunity to leave their mark. On top of projects and exams, students are leaving their mark through conversations. This year, the school is introducing Senior Exit Interviews, a new approach led by SWHS’s Assistant Principal Tera Harlow. These interviews give seniors the chance to share honest feedback about their high school experiences, in an attempt to improve the school for underclassmen.
“This is the first time in many, many years that we’ve had only one associate principal assigned to the senior class,” said SWHS Associate Principal Ms. Tera Harlow. “Knowing that I’ll be looping and working with the ninth graders next year, I thought this would be a great opportunity to gather feedback from the graduating class.”
The interviews are multi-purpose, the staff gets to celebrate what’s working well, and they also get to identify areas that need improvement. From programs and resources to events and academic support, students are encouraged to reflect their time spent at SWHS and be vocal about changes that should be made to benefit incoming freshmen. Harlow explained how she wants the school’s resources to be allocated toward programs that are actually helping students.
“[Mrs. Harlow] asked about how our experience in high school was, and though I was only at the school for about a year and a half, I liked giving my opinion on my experiences,” senior Parker Deleissegues told The Prowl.
According to Harlow, these interviews have already shown valuable insights. She expressed how some students took full advantage of everything our school offers, while others didn’t. These conversations help administrators learn more about what barriers might exist and what the school can do to better encourage participation with these resources.
When asked which part of the interviews she enjoyed most, Harlow responded, “It’s great to hear how each student’s experience is so unique and individual.”
With only a handful of interviews left, Mrs. Harlow already sees the potential long-term impact of this new approach. Whether it becomes a permanent part of South Windsor High Schools senior year experience or simply motivates similar efforts, these conversations are helping shape the future of upcoming SWHS students while giving seniors a meaningful voice in the process.
