Colton, CA—On Aug. 15, Colton High’s Seniors dragged themselves out of bed at 5:30 a.m. and onto Memorial Stadium field to attend the Senior Sunrise. The annual event kicked off the 2025-2026 school year with good vibes, but an underwhelming lack of light as morning clouds and haze masked the rising sun.
Senior Sunrise was hosted by the ASB Senior Class. This year’s theme was “Tea Cups To Tassels,” signifying an early morning of tea and the late night of graduation tassels.
Mocktails, coffee and donuts were provided by ASB, with local Starbucks donating the coffee. Mini pancakes were sold to students by Fresa’s Delights for $10 with a variety of toppings to choose from. Library palette donation.
ASB seniors were up at 3:45am in the morning to set up balloon arches, three photo booths, and a coffee bar where parent volunteers served coffee and donuts for breakfast. Across the football field, ASB stacked palettes and decorated them to look like tea tables, replete with tablecloths and flowers. The palettes were donated by the CHS library staff, Ms. April Geltch and Mr. Jose Calderon.
Senior Class President Christian Jason led the committee setting up Senior Sunrise. He was proud of how the event turned out, and especially proud of the ASB underclassmen involved in the work. “I really like how the underclassmen and ASB took initiative to make sure that the senior class officers were able to have fun at a senior event.”
Seniors enjoyed their morning basking in the nostalgia of past years of high school, as they readied themselves for their final year.
“I’ve been with these people over 12 years,” shared senior Pedro Moran. “I transferred here in first grade, and I’ve had a lot of time to meet new people and make new friends. I’m feeling like I’m a part of this community, and it’s going to be sad to see it eventually go.”
For Principal John Abbott, events like these hold a special place. “Every single time, it’s bittersweet,” he said. “From the time that you enter school to this point it’s just a celebration of everything you’ve accomplished and what the families have done and the community.”
Even though the sun didn’t exactly shine on the senior class as it rose, that didn’t stop the senior class from thoroughly enjoying the event. “I think [Senior Sunrise] went great,” said ASB President Aubree Gonzalez. “It turned out exactly how we wanted, and people seemed to have fun.”
