Within the next couple of weeks, hundreds of seniors will graduate from high school. Five graduating seniors talk about what it’s like for them, standing on the brink of the rest of their lives, and what they think about what lies ahead.

Jocelyn VanVickle, Bishop LeBlond High School

High school isn’t over yet, but there are things about it that Jocelyn “Joci” VanVickle already misses. Like playing basketball. She was No. 5, and still feels the sting of losing districts this year.

Now that she’s only a week away from graduation, the list of things she’s going to miss is about as long as the list of things she’s looking forward to about attending the University of Missouri in Columbia. It’s a bittersweet feeling.

“It just feels really surreal,” she says. “I just remember being a freshman and being really jealous that the seniors got to get out early, and now it’s my turn, and I don’t know how I feel about it anymore.”

This last week of school will be a week of remembering for Jocelyn and her classmates. They have the annual senior Mass, as well as a senior retreat at Conception Abbey. During the retreat, Jocelyn says, they’ll open a letter they wrote to themselves as freshman.

Although she remembers where she was when she wrote it, she doesn’t remember what she wrote in the letter. But she does know what she would tell her freshman self now.

“I would tell her to relax and enjoy the ride,” she says, “because it all happens pretty quickly.”

And for the next class of LeBlond seniors, she has some words for you, too.

“Represent LB well,” she says. “Keep that spirit strong!”

Morgan Russell, Central High School

Like many high school seniors facing graduation and college, Morgan Russell knows the general details about what’s ahead for her, but not all of the specifics.

She knows she’ll graduate from Central and then head to Drury University in Springfield, Mo., in the fall. She knows she wants a career involving math, but exactly what is eluding her.

“It’s nerve-wracking. I’m super excited about it, but at the same time you’re questioning it,” she says. “I know I started out with so many ideas about what I want to do with my life, and I haven’t gotten it settled.”

She already has ruled out a career as an actuary for an insurance firm, because she doesn’t want that kind of stress. She’s considering becoming a math teacher, but she’s still not sure.

And even though Morgan is the only student from Central going to Drury, she’s not too worried about making new friends. Rather, it’s holding on to her old ones that concerns her.

“I’m scared I’m going to lose all contact with my friends,” she says. “... It’s weird, because they’re my best friends now, but who knows where it will be in a couple years.”

Zach Doyle, St. Joseph Christian High School

One week from today, Zach Doyle will be donning his graduation cap and gown, marching to the strains of “Pomp and Circumstance” and collecting his high school diploma. Right now he’s feeling excited, but just a bit stressed.

“I don’t want to say (I’m) overwhelmed, but there’s a lot of stuff to do,” he says.

And a lot of stuff to think about. He already knows where he’ll be going to school — he officially decided a few weeks ago that he would be attending Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Okla., his No. 1 pick. But then there’s the stress of paying for private university tuition.

“It’s kind of intimidating to think about thousands of dollars, tens of thousands of dollars,” he says.

He plans on getting some scholarships and doing work study programs during the semester. He’s also working this summer, trying to save up some money before he goes to school.

But for now, he’s trying to focus on the task at hand and relax a little as high school comes to a close. He wants to relish these last bits of his high school career.

“I remember thinking, back in elementary school, ‘Gosh, high school is so stinking far away,’” he says. “But now that we’re at the point where we’re almost done, you realize how fast it really does go.”

Paden Chambers, Benton High School

As a freshman mentor, Paden Chambers is often reminded of what the first year of high school can be like for students. He remembers his first impression of Benton High School.

“I just remember freshman year, walking in and realizing how big this building was,” he says. “It was huge to me.”

Now, the same high school that seemed so big feels like home. And even though he’s counting the days until graduation, leaving this home is a little sad.

“It’s starting to hit that we want to go so bad,” he says, “but there’s a few moments where it’s like, ‘Yeah, we are leaving this.’ It’s kind of bittersweet.”

Still, there are some things he won’t miss about Benton, like the cafeteria food and the parking situation. He gets to school by 7:15 every morning so he doesn’t have to fight for a spot.

Paden thinks he’ll feel at home at his new school, Drury University in Springfield, Mo. It’s a smaller school that will provide him with the same community atmosphere he feels at Benton, while giving him opportunity to branch out.

“It’s time to move on and go to a new place where other people are interested in the same things you are,” he says.

Gunner Sumy, Lafayette High School

Though he’ll be done with high school in just a couple of weeks, it really hasn’t hit Gunner Sumy yet.

“It feels so surreal in a way,” he says. “Even though it’s the last month... it feels like we have so much more to do.”

And while he’s ready to leave behind the recent blast of homework and having the same set schedule every day, he’s not looking forward to leaving the people behind.

“Lafayette is like a family, and you feel like you’re not going to see those people again,” he says.

Well, he’ll see some of them again. He’s going to school at Northwest Missouri State University and has quite a few friends going with him. He’s planning on rooming with his best friend.

Gunner says he’s been reminiscing about how much fun high school has been, but he’s also ready for the next step.

“Everybody says (college) is a blast, and I hope that’s true,” he says. “It’s like the beginning of adulthood, almost like the start of my life.”

Lifestyles reporter Lacey Storer can be reached at lstorer@npgco.com