Over 60 seniors crowded into the Ripon High School North Gym Wednesday, May 10 to celebrate their future endeavors at College Reveal Night.

College Reveal Night is an annual event that was created in 2016 by Mrs. Goudeau and Mrs. Mortensen to support the senior class as they go on to their ventures after high school.

RHS Activities Director, Mrs. Mortensen, dreamed up this event after watching students who sign on to college athletic times go through celebration and fanfare.

“I was disappointed in the emphasis placed on athletes and their signing,” Mortensen reflected.  “We didn’t acknowledge our academic scholarships and our academics and their achievements enough. They deserve a signing, but we don’t call it a signing because we don’t want to take away from the athletes that do have signings because that’s really cool. But, if we look at the difference between the two, we have so many more kids going to school, paying for themselves, getting scholarships… Why aren’t we honoring them too and highlighting them too? We want to honor those students ready to pursue the next level of education.”

This year’s College Reveal Night featured a D.J., a runway, snacks, and a free professional photographer.

Each senior that attended was encouraged to sport attire representing their future college or career as they walked, one by one, down a runway furnished with lights and balloons. Each senior paraded down the runway for the cheering crowd as the D.J. and Mrs. Mortensen announced information regarding the senior’s future. Each senior was also encouraged to select a quote that defined their character and integrity which was also read at College Reveal Night.

After the programmed event, many students stayed behind to take photos with their friends and family. It’s a rare occurrence to have the majority of students in their college gear, so many capitalized on the opportunity.

This year’s seniors are embarking on paths involving attending college, moving out of state, joining the workforce, and joining the military.

Overall the students were incredibly happy with the event.

“I liked seeing where everyone is going and what they’re going to do with their lives,” said senior Amanda Mulder, who will be attending CSU Stanislaus and plans to go into nursing.

Senior Diego Franco-Carreno also enjoyed the event.

“If you’re not going to a big, exciting school or going for sports, you don’t really get much recognition, so it was nice to be recognized for where I’m going to school,” said Franco-Carreno. Franco-Carreno will be attending Boise State University with a major in biochemical engineering.
The event allowed students to take pride in their colleges and get excited about the future.