Closing in on the final year of high school, Eagle High’s seniors typically have a schedule that greatly differs from schedules they handled in previous years. And for most, that’s the fun of it. Senior Megan Baird’s schedule exemplifies this.
For her, a typical day starts a little earlier than most may expect. At 6:42 a.m. exactly, her alarm goes off and she’s up and ready to take on the day. It’s the perfect time, she said, to wake up and get ready without too much extra time to spare. After a quick couple of minutes lounging in bed, she jumps out, brushes her teeth and heads downstairs for breakfast.
As one of the eldest siblings of her family, Baird takes on the role of driver, bringing her younger siblings—Paul, an eighth grader, and Sarah, a sophomore—to Eagle High with her.
“It was a fun surprise,” she said, recalling the shock of her younger brother being in the same chemistry class she was a teacher’s assistant for. “I thought, ‘Oh, this’ll be fun,’ but then my mom told me he’d be in there too.”
When the first bell rings at Eagle High, Baird’s A-day kicks off—albeit a little more laid-back. After a back-to-back schedule of government and economics with teacher Mark Snodgrass, she comes back from lunch to study anatomy and then heads out once again for her release period.
“[For me,] A-days are really chill,” Baird said. For her, senior year has lightened the load. “First semester… it was like a whole day of just hanging out with friends and taking it easy.”
B-days, however, are a little busier. Stats, seminary, orchestra and English fill her schedule. With friends in most of her classes, Baird still finds it’s a good time, though.
Lunch is a social affair for Baird. She spends most of her time with friends, but occasionally, her passion for music pulls her in another direction. As a member of a small ensemble for the Eagle High orchestra, she and her fellow musicians practice outside during lunch at times.
“When we were prepping for District Festival, we’d practice a couple of times a week. It was intense, but fun,” she said. If there’s a test coming up in anatomy, however, Baird will skip out on the usual social hour to review. But typically, she usually leaves her textbooks behind and enjoys the time to hang out.
After school, Baird dives into her extracurriculars. Between Boise Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, which runs from 4:15 to 6:30, and robotics, Baird’s schedule can be packed.
“I carpool with a bunch of people to orchestra, so I get a little five-minute break at home before heading out again,” she explained. Though she gets home late, she finds it’s worth it for her love of music and teamwork. Additionally, she doesn’t usually have much to do after arriving home, so it isn’t too overwhelming for her. Senior year has given Baird much more time to relax.
“It’s been way more chill,” she said. “I have more free time now, and I’ve even picked up a couple of new hobbies. I started sewing this year, which has been really fun.” One of her most recent creations has been a senior year sweatshirt with countless different patches.
“I’m also working on a quilt that’s going to be a kind of high school memory quilt—each square has something important to me. I’m still deciding on one for my debate team though; it’s either going to be a gavel or the NSDA symbol,” Baird said.
She also added an unexpected layer of nostalgia to her senior year: her carpool group. “We call it our bus because it’s our little crew. It’s just iconic,” she laughs. “I’m the driver—well, me and my friend. We’re basically the bus drivers, and it’s hilarious because we’ve been doing it all year. It’s the best.”
In between the busyness of school, music and hanging with friends, Baird has come to appreciate the little things about senior year.
“It’s just a lot more spontaneous fun now. If friends want to go do something, I can just be like, ‘Sure, let’s go.’ It’s all about enjoying the last year and making those random memories,” Baird said.
With the newfound flexibility of senior year, Baird has been able to balance her commitments while exploring new interests and making time for what really matters to her—friends, music and, of course, the random adventures that make her final year of high school so memorable.
