After four years of hard work, students finally reach their senior year; the last chapter before they go their separate ways, and begin new journeys. The Senior Bear Awards are the perfect time to reconnect, celebrate, and have fun as their high school careers come to a close. This event spotlights many seniors through 24 unique awards, recognizing 52 total winners.
Categories vary from “Most Changed since Freshman Year” to “Highway Hazard” and even “Dynamic Duo”, along with many more. Beyond entertainment, The Senior Bear awards serve a greater purpose of being News and Broadcasting’s biggest fundraiser of the year, allowing them to purchase essential equipment. But more than anything, this event is about friendships, memories, and celebrating the senior class.
What are the Senior Bear Awards?
Changing it up, this year the senior bear awards were presented in the East gym on March 25 rather than the usual Auditorium. The awards consist of many humorous awards for seniors, all intended to bring people together while raising money for News and Broadcasting.
This year’s theme, Bears of Hollywood, created a movie-inspired atmosphere throughout the night. The process began back in November, when the first rounds of voting were released through an online survey. Students voted for who they thought fit in each category, gradually narrowing down the nominees through multiple rounds.
On the night of the event, the awards open and close with a fun skit put on by the advanced News and Broadcasting. For each category, a total of nine pairs of presenters announced each award, accompanied by a nominee video showing all the potential winners for that category. The overall event brought students together, allowing different seniors to be spotlighted, all thanks to the people who worked tirelessly to make it happen.
Behind the Scenes
Setting up the Senior Bear Awards is a tedious task. The Head of the project, and a third-year News and Broadcasting student, senior Siena Cuda, has been organizing, preparing, and coordinating from the beginning to ensure every aspect of the night was as successful as possible.
Usually, the seniors of the class take charge of this event. Since Cuda is the only senior, she is the head of the whole project. This means she set up the voting, speeches for presenters, ticket detailing, and the whole show. While she was the head of the project, others in the class also contributed, filming skits that opened and closed for the event, helping to sell tickets, and even setting up and cleaning the night of the event.
Despite the significant amount of work involved, Cuda explains, “This has been the best six months of the class.”
Having her own project for her senior year, focused on an event most seniors look forward to, was very enjoyable for her. All the preparation set the stage for the night itself, when the awards were presented, and the winners finally got their moment in the spotlight.
The Winners
With a ton of different categories, you can expect a variety of winners, some unexpected, some not. This year was no exception. For each category, two students win. The categories remained largely the same as in previous years, except for a few awards that had slight name changes. Although some of the awards are more sought after than others, and not everyone wins, the mood for the awards is meant to be lighthearted and fun. With many awards given, a few in particular stood out.
One award that stood out was “best car”. This award recognizes two students who have a fun or unique vehicle that’s distinguished by students. This year, seniors Bobby Wade and Blythe Collins won the award.
For two years, Wade has been driving an Audi Q8. His car is a fan favorite and was built on the same platform as the Lamborghini Urus.
When it comes to Collins, she won the award for her electric scooter. Collins’s scooter is popular among the students, as many voted for her. To make her vehicle unique, Collins adds stickers around the scooter to truly personalize it.
Another standout category is “most stylish”. This award highlights students who have a stylish, unique fashion sense. This year, Isla Fisher and Lola Burns took home the award.
Fisher said she was surprised to win but has an idea of why she stood out.
“I put a lot of effort into the things that I wear every day. I think I have a unique sense of style.”
Fisher often shops at thrift stores to find unique pieces and draws inspiration from a variety of sources, such as medieval history.
As for Burns, she also said how she was surprised to win. Burns finds inspiration for a lot of her clothing from online platforms.
“TikTok definitely inspires my style. I find a lot of my clothes there, saving items then buying them later.”
When it comes to where Burns likes to shop, she has recently been gravitating towards Aritzia and Alo. Oftentimes, to spruce up an outfit, Burns likes to put on a pair of jeans with a cute top or even a trench coat.
Not only were the awards for seniors, but for the staff, too. While there were many great candidates, teachers, Mrs. Serrato and Mr. Duffy won the award for “Best Staff”. An award spotlighting two staff members who stood out this year.
Duffy said he was surprised to receive the recognition, especially considering the number of strong teachers at the school. Although he finds it difficult to pinpoint exactly why he was chosen, Dufffy believes that building strong connections with students plays a big role.
“This might sound a little cliche, but relationships are the heart of the work.”
Not only that, but for Duffy, his teachings go beyond the classroom.
“I’m always on the lookout for content that could make a lesson more effective or answer a lingering question.”
He is constantly reflecting on his teachings and using students’ input as a way to improve. This commitment to his students is what makes him stand out.
Similarly, Mrs.Serrato was also recognized for her positive impact on students. Serrato believes that her relationships with students also played a big role in receiving this award. With a lot going on in her classroom, she strives to make an effort to create a comfortable classroom environment for students.
At the same time, she strives to connect with each student individually. For Serrato, teaching is centered around those relationships.
“Some of the most rewarding moments come from hearing from former students of mine after they graduate. I love seeing what they go on to accomplish.”
She values those lasting connections she builds with her students and takes pride in supporting them in and outside the classroom. This focus is able to set her apart as a teacher.
At the end of the night, the Senior Bear Awards have done exactly what they were made for: bringing students together to celebrate their personalities, as well as a few laughs along the way. From the planned skits to the variety of awards, the event highlighted the class of 2026, giving students a chance to shine.
With Cuda’s hard work and the help of the News and Broadcasting team, they created an unforgettable night of memories. As seniors move on to their next chapters in life, this can always be an event to look back on.
