As students prepare to leave high school and launch their next chapters, they’re navigating a shifting landscape with high expectations, complex challenges, and a great deal of uncertainty. But instead of shying away, students are leaning in and creating their own narratives. They’re critical users of AI, engaged in their communities, and passionate about the things that matter most to them, whether it’s faith, healthcare, or politics. Here’s a glimpse at what it means to be a Gen Z student.
What do you care most about right now?
Chloe: Mental health. I feel like it’s not overlooked, but I think it’s something that’s very important to talk about and should be prioritized.
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Clark: I really care about my Catholic faith. At the end of my sophomore year, I had this theology class with Mr. Wehner, and he did a really good job of teaching us life lessons. It really sparked my interest in theology. The next semester, I took Catholic ethics and found a group of friends who also cared about these things. I took leadership positions in the religious clubs at my school and in the community. I think young people are starting to take their faith seriously, and I think that’s really helpful for the future. I’m glad I went to SLUH because teachers really support your faith, and they’ll do everything they can to help you grow it.
David: What matters most to me is my community. I’m extremely involved in my parish and at Priory, and I’ll say that those are important to me.
Ayomide: Burroughs has this thing called the May Project, where in the last month of your senior year, you volunteer. Right now, I’m volunteering at my old elementary school, and the experience has really made me realize the importance of education. I’ve always known that education is important, but I really value academics and making sure that students are prepared for the next journey and feel empowered.
Evita: Access to healthcare, especially in more rural areas. My grandparents live in Nigeria, and there are lots of places in different countries and even in the United States where people don’t have regular access to health care. The impact of that is really horrible.
What do adults get wrong about your generation?
Evita: I can’t speak for all adults, but there’s a notion that Gen Z is lazy and not passionate about anything, and I’d say that’s really far from the truth. I know a lot of people in my school community who are driven academically to one goal, and it’s really inspiring.
Clark: That we’re lazy and spend lots of time on our phones.
Ayomide:Maybe it isn’t that they’re getting this wrong, but that they don’t understand the financial situation of people within Gen Z. They don’t understand the burdens our generation is experiencing. It’s much more difficult to enter the job market.
David: I might be the worst person to ask this. Everyone around me says that I’m an old soul. I don’t have social media or anything like that. I don’t understand a lot of trends. I think that every generation is judgmental about the other ones. It might just be a regular thing with no specific reason.
Chloe: I feel like a lot of adults think we’re all doing bad things, or things we shouldn’t be doing, but not everyone does.
How is AI changing the education landscape?
Clark: It’s not changing it in a bad way, necessarily. There are AI checkers, so if you cheat on something, it’s pretty clear. I think it can be a useful tool, especially when you have these big research projects. I found that so much time is wasted reading flowery, intricate language. In reality, if I just hit “Summarize,” I can figure out what I’m looking for, and I can go and read what I actually want to read. Using it as a research tool definitely helps students.
Evita:We have an honor council composed of students and faculty sponsors. They have lots of technology that they use to detect if a student is using AI on an assignment. If the assignment is not authorized for AI, then the consequences can be severe.
Chloe: I have a teacher who says AI can be used for good. He lets his students use it not to develop their ideas, but to help make their thoughts clear. So not to give you answers, but to help you with the ideas that you have.
David: It depends on how you use it. I will go to ChatGPT to look up a quick answer about one of my classes. I’ll never use it to cheat on my work. Priory is very strict with cheating, so that never happens. It has become a helpful resource. If you Google something, it might not give you the answer that you’re looking for, but AI usually will because you can specify what you’re looking for.
What’s one thing you wish school better prepared you for?
Ayomide: I think the most important thing is being open to different perspectives and new experiences. Our country is very divided, so being open and accepting different types of people is really important.
Evita: Time management, conflict resolution, and basic interactions are important.
Clark: More day-to-day, living-at-home stuff. For the past two summers, I’ve worked in my old middle school on a janitorial crew, and I was able to learn things like how to drywall, put up doorframes, and mud. I wish school prepared us for those things.
What would your dream gap year look like?
Ayomide: I would definitely travel a lot to places I have never been before. Maybe Japan or Korea. I recently went to The Hague, so a dream gap year would be interning at the International Court of Justice.
Clark: I’d visit Australia. I watched Bondi Rescue a lot when I was in seventh, eighth, freshman, and sophomore year, and it was always cool to see them running down the beach. I just want to go visit Bondi.
Chloe: My dad grew up in Italy, so all his family is there. I would take a gap year there and spend time with family or travel around Italy. I went there last summer, and I would have stayed longer if I could.
David: I’ve never even considered a gap year.
Evita: I would travel a lot. I don’t really get to travel because of school and summer programs, but I’d travel to Nigeria, where my parents were born.
