The Harvard-Westlake Parents’ Association (HWPA) handed out free home-baked cookies to celebrate the third Senior Appreciation event of the 2023-2024 school year Dec. 4.

Chris Headley ’24 said he appreciated the reward for his hard work throughout his high school experience.

“I feel like we go to a school where we must work hard to get to this point,” Headley said. “It feels nice when all [of] your hard work [over] four or six years is recognized once and for all. I lost a lot of sleep, but I’m happy it was rewarded in the form of sugar and cookies.”

Headley said events like these can help alleviate students’ stress levels.

“Events like these make me happy, but I think students still [feel pressure] ,” Headley said. “Going to these events and various senior celebrations can definitely help though.”

Andrew Khachatourian ’24 said the event gave seniors a chance to come together as a class amid pressure surrounding college admissions.

“I’ve been [at the Upper School] since I was a sophomore, [and] it’s been awesome seeing the seniors get these special days,” Khachatourian said. “Seniors are pretty stressed and tight about college admissions, so I’m glad this is a time where the class can be seen as a community.”

HWPA volunteer Jane Mass (Annabelle ’24) said these events can help students pause and reflect on the significance of the holiday season.

“My favorite thing is being on campus and getting to see the kids,” Mass said. “It’s a great community builder and a nice break for students to stop and remind themselves of the holidays and what this time of year is about. It’s a great opportunity to bring them together or sit down to have a cookie.”

Mass said she hopes the event reminded students to cherish their time as seniors.

“These events are a great way to remind the students and parents that senior year is going quickly,” Mass said. “They should cherish the time they have, and I’m glad our parent community is open to doing events like these.”