Catching up with the CMS Class of 2019

It's high school graduation time for the CMS class of 2019, and we caught up with several alums to ask them a few questions. Check out their thoughtful and encouraging answers:

What is your favorite memory from your time at CMS?

My favorite CMS memory was lip sync night at Allerton. It’s not often that you get to dramatically perform your favorite songs with your friends in front of a live audience! Honorable mentions: weaving a cool under-the-sea mural; fun times at girls on the run after school. (Marlow Tracy)

It is hard to just pick one, but I would say art class and just hanging out with everyone. I may have taken it for granted at the time, but it really is nice to have so much time dedicated to creativity. I also enjoyed spending time with friends during lunch, I still keep in touch with my classmates to this day. (Paula Pessin Sardela)

My favorite memory is when Señora would make churros in Spanish class. They were the best churros I’ve ever had. (Rilynn Adams)

Toward the end of eighth grade, during drama class, me and Rilynn got to go outside to work on whatever the final was, and we laid on the grass talking about what high school was going to be like and reminiscing on our time at CMS. It was a really beautiful day and I just remember feeling so calm and eager for the next chapter of my life. (Tara Armas)

My favorite memory from my time at CMS was all of us coming together to move into the new building. It is my favorite time because I felt like I was a part of something big. I know it took some time to be able to finally afford a permanent building, so when as a 6th grader we found out we were getting a permanent building I was excited! I felt like I was making history, because I would be one of the first to step foot on the new grounds, and I’d be a part of the first 7th grade class to attend the school in the new building. And in that year we made history by making the building what CMS really was! (Taniyya Motley-Coleman)

What advice can you give to this year's graduating 8th grade class as they prepare for high school?

My best advice would be to stick with true friends. It is not worthwhile during your short time in high school to hold onto those who make you feel less than others. (Addison McClure)

If I were to give one piece of advice to incoming high schoolers it would be to put yourself out there as much as possible. Take part in any club, sport, or extracurricular activity you have even the slightest interest in. This is a great opportunity to determine where your interest lies, and there’s no harm in trying something out only to realize maybe it’s not something you’d like to continue pursuing. (Mariam Vaid)

I know it’s cheesy but be yourself, you’ll find your people. Take the classes you want to, not the ones everyone else is taking (you’ll regret it if you do.) Don’t feel pressured to do anything you don’t want to do. Have fun, and join the swim team. (Rilynn Adams)

I would say don’t be afraid to try new things, whether it be sports, clubs or hobbies. You might end up really liking it, and meet great friends. Even if you end up not pursuing it, it can be a valuable experience. Take this as a time to learn what you like and what interests you, this really helped me when it came time to think about college. Most importantly do not stress too much, make time to just enjoy life! (Paula Pessin Sardela)

Do what makes your heart happy. Don’t worry too much about the future— just follow your passions (or anything you’re interested in!) and see where they take you. (Marlow Tracy)

Don’t let go of the friends you made at CMS, they are some of the best people you will ever meet. Be yourself, and try not to care so much about what other people think. Don’t let social media put pressure on you to appear a certain way, take time to go outside, and don’t get into a relationship right away. Always remember to love yourself first. Do what makes you happy, and be friends with people who are kind. Finally, take care of your mental health, it’s always okay to take a break to reset and recharge. (Tara Armas)

The most important advice I can give to them is to enjoy it and focus! Make sure that they take every opportunity offered to them because they would not regret it. High school is a different environment from middle school. So although it is bigger and more diverse, it is a fun experience! It does go by fast so enjoy it! There are ups and downs where they feel they’re life might not be going as it should, but with a strong support system, along with hard work and dedication things will fall into place. (Taniyya Motley-Coleman)

What are your plans post graduation?

Post graduation I plan to go to Augustana College to study art. (Rilynn Adams)

I am going to Augustana College in Rock Island where I will triple major in Environmental Science, Physics, and Art. (Tara Armas)

My plans post-graduation are to attend the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and earn an undergraduate degree in anthropology. (Addison McClure)

I am attending Clark Atlanta University located in Atlanta,Georgia where I will be majoring in Psychology and Minoring in Education. (Taniyya Motley-Coleman)

I will be attending Parkland Community College in the fall. (Alex Murphy)

In the fall I plan to attend the GIES College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. I will be participating in the Business and James Scholar honors program. (Paula Pessin Sardela)

Mechanical engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Marlow Tracy)

After graduating high school, I’ll be attending the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, majoring in Biology. (Mariam Vaid)

(Our pennant collection continues to grow. Let us know where you're going and we will purchase a pennant from your school and add it to our hall display. Here at CMS we are proud of our alums and want to honor them--and inspire our current students to follow in their footsteps!)