To the Fullest

California

June 30, 2024

While they honored their last day of classes with a banquet on Friday, the students of the High School Summer Program still had one day left to celebrate their achievement and enjoy the company of their new friends. Determined to make the most of it, they lived Saturday to the fullest.

Shortly after rising, they piled into buses for the coast! After breakfast and a bus ride spent chatting, singing, and enjoying the ocean views, the high schoolers arrived on the sand at Carpinteria State Beach. Though the sunshine hid behind the clouds for much of the morning, that didn’t stop the students from jumping into the cold Pacific waters! As the day went on, the weather warmed up and the sun began to peak through the clouds. Students spent their time playing volleyball, frisbee, and Spikeball, or burying each other under big piles of sand. Others kept to the water, swimming, skimboarding, or learning how to surf.

Photos: Beach

When they had their fill of sand and saltwater, the “programmers” drove to the historic Old Mission Santa Barbara, where they attended a vigil Mass. They then walked down State Street, a Santa Barbara boulevard lined with shops, restaurants, and palm trees. The students, split into small groups led by prefects, found their dinner at various restaurants along the avenue, delighting in pizza, tacos, pasta, ice cream, and more. After dinner, they explored antique shops, boutiques, and cafes before meeting for the bus ride back to campus. Before leaving Santa Barbara, everyone posed for a big group photo at the end of State Street, much to the amusement of passing pedestrians and cars, whose drivers honked their horns and waved in appreciation of the group’s obvious enthusiasm.

Photos: Santa Barbara

The students prayed the Rosary together on their buses as they made their way back to campus. When they arrived, the sun had already set and the sky was dark, but the night was far from over! The group, reluctant to let its time together come to an end, gathered for one last celebration: a farewell dance on the St. Gladys Hall patio. Pairs danced under the stars and string lights as the sound of music and conversation filled the patio. Many who had spent the week practicing spins, dips, and tricks showed off their skills on the dance floor.

Photos: Dance

At the dance’s conclusion, students sat on the patio to watch a slideshow of highlights from the past week, from the first day arriving on campus right up until their time at the dance. The friends laughed and cheered at the memories, looking back on times when they didn’t know each other yet and reliving the events that had brought them together. “It was the best week ever,” reflected Isa M.

The slideshow ended, and students lingered on the patio to say their goodbyes. Finally, they returned to their residence halls, but few were ready to say goodnight. Many stayed up late into the night, talking and treasuring their final moments together. Whether or not they ever found their way to bed, the high schoolers were up early this morning to begin making their ways home.

And so marks the end of the 2024 California one-week High School Summer Program, but not the Summer Blog. Check back later for photos from the day’s fond farewells!