Most seniors take in their last summer by making as many memories as possible before they go to college, trade school or whatever plans they have for after high school.
Iren Davis, a senior at Lakeland High School, will not have this opportunity due to leaving for Pocatello to attend Idaho State University (ISU) two days after graduation.
“ISU has a summer program to get some of your educations out of the way, so two days after, I’m just going right there,” Davis said.
Over the summer, he will take four courses before the fall semester.
College life is something soon in his future, which is something he is excited about. Davis plans to move into the dorms right away and get started on his career.
Although he is excited, there are bittersweet feelings about leaving the high school. Davis believes he has made tremendous personal growth over the past four years at LHS.
“Honestly, my friends changed dramatically throughout the years,” Davis said.
Along with friendship changes, he also endured an injury to his shoulder during his junior year wrestling. Almost broken, he wrestled through the pain for the rest of the season but was no longer able to wrestle after his junior year. Davis had surgery the summer before his senior year.
“It took a while to heal,” Davis said. “It fully recovered this January.”
Although he is upset he is no longer able to wrestle, he has fond memories from his sophomore and junior seasons, along with the friendships he made.
Davis also enjoys playing guitar, thanks to Mark Sescilla and the guidance he has given him in the skill. Along with this, he enjoys playing video games.
High school also gave Davis a secure friend group that will continue their friendships past high school. Cooper Friddle, a senior at LHS, plans on going to the Air Force once he graduates, however, he plans to also keep in touch with Davis, no matter the distance.
The two first met their junior year in class and have continued to grow closer ever since.
“He’s a really good guy, really funny,” Friddle said. “I love the jokes that he makes, and you can talk to him about everything.”
The two plan to stay in touch over social media. Friddle has family in Pocatello, so they hope they can meet up in the future.
In Pocatello, Davis plans to major in fire services and administration. With this degree, he hopes to become a firefighter and eventually reach a higher title.
“With this degree, you don’t have to just be a firefighter,” Davis said. “You can go up higher in the ranks.”
Firefighting has always been of interest to Davis, so he is excited to see where this career will take him.
“Honestly, I want to be like a superhero,” Davis said.
