In what has become a rite of passage at Riverbank High School, members of the senior class recently participated in what they call D-Day. Throughout the day on Monday, Sept. 30, students presented posters they designed and delivered speeches about what their senior projects will encompass. The students then celebrated with community members, mentors, and parents or guardians. D-Day provides seniors an audience and an opportunity to describe and declare their Senior Projects. The speech included their plans on how they will accomplish their purpose. During their presentation the students identified their mentor and declared to the audience that they will remain morally straight throughout the senior project process, working diligently to achieve the goals they have set.

“There is nothing that will undermine our work more than a senior who looks for ways to find shortcuts and take credit for something they didn’t do,” stated RHS teacher Nancy Garcia.

Seniors wear black on D-Day to reflect that they will take the projects very seriously and that colors would distract them from their purpose.

“It has been designed, since Senior Project started at our school, to be the kick-off and most important thing they will accomplish with this process,” explained Garcia. “It forces them to give a speech in front of a very difficult audience. This is good preparation for their Senior Boards in May.”

At those Senior Boards, the students present the actual projects to a panel of judges, detailing what they learned about their subject and, in many cases, relate it to how they plan to follow their selected subject as a career path.