It’s getting warmer, your summer playlist is on repeat and the shorts from the bottom of your drawer have made their way to the top. Whether you’re a sophomore, junior or senior, everyone is excited to finally have some time off. But the real question is, how do you balance work and fun? Students are looking forward to beach days, concerts, faraway trips and most importantly, some rest.
Chris Marin ’25 said as a senior, he plans to spend more time traveling and seeing friends than he did over past summers, when he focused on attending summer programs and building his activities list for college.
“I’ll definitely explore and travel more because I was focused on building my resume and such during the last few summers,” Marin said. “It’s important to build relationships with your friends, especially since it’ll be the last time you see them, at least for a while. For example, I’m going on a senior camping trip with a few friends from school.”
Along with visiting colleges and perfecting their resumes, Zarah Colmenares-Cifuentes ’26 said juniors will try squeeze in fun to make the most of their time before senior year. She said it is good to multitask and incorporate college visits into traveling.
“I’m going to San Francisco to visit a few relatives, but since it’s a far drive, my family and I think it’s important to visit colleges along the way, even if it’s just a quick drive by campus and not an official tour or anything like that,” Colmenares said.
Colmenares said it is also important to take one’s mind off school during breaks.
“It’s all a matter of balance,” Colmenares said. “Instead of focusing on school, I’m going to try and forget about it at least a few times over the summer. I’m going to [go to] a Fuerza Regida concert, have fun with family and even just binge-watch my favorite show for a few days.”
Abigail Juarez ’26 said even though she is going on an Italy trip organized by the school, it feels like a fun and meaningful way to spend part of her summer.
“Even though it’s school-related, I have a lot of fun with students and teachers of that class, so it won’t feel like something I’m dreading,” Juarez said. “I only have so much time at Harvard-Westlake, so I’m doing my best to make the most of it.”
Marin said he will save money during the summer to ensure he’s ready for his upcoming freshman year.
“I’m going to spend a lot of time with friends, but I’m also going to get a job for college,” Marin said. “It doesn’t hurt to build the funds to pay for college early, and I think my future self will thank me for that.”
Amy Perez ’27 said she’s always excited to visit family over the summer.
“I always go to Guatemala during break, and it’s almost like a reward after another hard-working school year,” Perez said. “My relatives congratulate me and remind me how grateful I should be to attend a school like this. Visiting them re-energizes me and motivates me to do even better next year. I feel at peace.”
