HIGH SCHOOLS ACROSS the Diocese of Orange are steeped in meaningful traditions and JSerra Catholic High School is no exception.
On Aug. 9, the Class of 2026 participated in its first major tradition of senior year. The day began with the traditional “Senior Sunrise” at Strands Beach in Dana Point. Afterward, the seniors made their way to JSerra for the lottery, which determined the student order for picking their parking spots.
Then the transformations began. What started out as black asphalt became vibrant pieces of art.
FAMILY AND FRIENDS HELP SENIORS WITH LAYOUT AND PAINTING DURING SENIOR PAINT DAY. BY NICK DAVIES/ JSERRA
CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
The senior parking spot paint day is a long-standing tradition, according to Principal Eric Stroupe. The event has been an integral part of the start of students’ senior year for about 15 years.
“All students receive a parking spot, if they need one, and artwork must be submitted for approval before the event,” said Activities Director Robby Roberts, who has been facilitating this event for three years.
Paint is supplied to each senior, and friends and families help with the layout and painting.
While seniors were diligently working on their parking spots, a few took time to share reflections and thoughts about this event.
“All of the seniors look forward to this event,” said Mandy Garrett, ASB student body president. “It signifies the start of our senior year, and is a bonding experience for the senior class, families and friends.”
Garrett’s theme revolved around her love for all things Disney related, especially the Disney Channel and Mickey Mouse.
With the Mickey Mouse logo at the bottom left of her space and the handprints of good friends on the bottom right, the wording called out, “I am Mandy Garrett and you are watching me graduate.”
Senior Jack B. said he has looked forward to this event for quite some time.
“I thought about possible designs since my freshman year,” he said, “and started serious design planning in the past two to three weeks.”
His theme is an iPhone image, with text that reads, “Hey Siri, how many days until graduation?”
He also mentioned tailgate parties before home football games, noting that tailgating takes place in the senior parking lot, which provides excellent exposure to all the parking spot designs.
Graham Kitcher, president of the student leadership group Caritas Christi, has memories of involvement with this event from his younger years. Kitcher has two older sisters who attended JSerra. He fondly remembers helping with the painting of their parking spots.
“This is an opportunity to leave a positive mark on the school and say goodbye in a fun way,” he shared.
Kitcher’s parking spot design follows similar themes to his sister’s. He will show an image of Crush from Finding Nemo with Crush saying, “Later, dudes.”
For the JSerra class of 2026, Aug. 9 will always be remembered as a day when the class bonded to transform a blank parking lot into a collision of vibrant colors and personal messages.