The Hidden Valley High School Class of 2025 gathered in the senior parking lot Aug. 18 at sunrise for the school’s second annual Senior Sunrise.

The event, organized entirely by students, gave seniors the chance to kick off their final year together. Cars filled with blankets, pillows and handmade signs packed the lot as classmates took pictures, shared laughs and marked the start of their senior year.

For many, the highlight wasn’t just the sunrise but the time spent together.

“The memory that will stay with me the longest is sitting with my classmates and watching the sky slowly change colors,” senior Emma Jones (12) said. She also recalled joking with friends and decorating senior signs. “The sunrise ended up being more meaningful and exciting than I thought it would be.”

Senior Kate Funderburke said her group prepared the night before.

“My friends and I picked up craft supplies to make cute signs, and we filled our cars with blankets, pillows and other comfortable things,” she said.

Unlike most school events, Senior Sunrise was entirely student-led, giving the class freedom to shape the morning.

“The sunrise was extremely pretty, and I had fun just talking to my friends,” Funderburke said. “I think the pictures captured how close our class is and how we came together for one last big event.”

Senior Sunrise marked not only the beginning of the Class of 2025’s final year but also a reminder of the friendships and memories that will carry them through their last chapter of high school.