Courtesy of Oliver Wu

Seniors head towards the Quad to start their final first day at Friends.

At daybreak on August 27th, 2025, excited seniors dressed in pink gathered on the turf. The Friends School class of 2026 had arrived for Senior Sunrise.

This yearly tradition celebrates the first day of school for the seniors. This year, the event included photo ops, breakfast brought by students, and a heartwarming speech by the head of school, Christian Donovan.

Donovan came to Friends in 2022, bringing the Senior Sunrise tradition to campus. He came to Friends when current seniors were just freshmen – and now ushers the same class into their final year.

Donovan spoke to the seniors about his experiences setting an example for those younger than him. He told a story about a time when he was an adolescent and had to playing a childhood game with younger children. At first, he did not want to play with the kids. But he soon realized it was his responsibility to play with them and set an example. He encouraged the class of ’25 to do the same: to lead by example with kindness and respect. 

After the speech, many students expressed feelings of disbelief and excitement that they had finally reached the top level of the video game known as Senior year.

Friends gathered in groups to take photos, reflecting on the year to come and the years behind them. As the sun rose higher, the seniors set off for the quad to start their last first day.