SEAL BEACH, Calif. — Time: 5:45 a.m. Location: Seal Beach Pier. Hundreds of high school seniors met on the sand before the crack of dawn this morning with coffee, friends and blankets to watch as the sun rose. Why were so many students at the beach this early? Senior Sunrise!

To kick off senior year, many high schools every August organize Senior Sunrises, held at the beach or on campus. Los Alamitos High School’s Senior Sunrise was the morning of Monday, Aug. 26 on the north side of the Seal Beach Pier. According to LAHS students, Wilson High School also had their Senior Sunrise this morning on the south side of the pier.

Seniors woke hours before they usually get to school and drove to the beach while the sky was still dark. Watching the sunrise together symbolized their new beginning as seniors and celebrated the start of the fourth and last year the class of 2025 will be together. At the end of the year, the class will come together again for Senior Sunset to close out their high school journey.

“I’m excited for graduation and the memories along the way,” LAHS senior Derek Begley said. “My big goal is to win nationals in Nashville for show choir.”

ASB president Emmany Thao’s goal is to attend every single senior event this year.

“I’m super excited for Powderpuff. I can’t wait to play and hopefully beat the juniors,” Thao said. Powderpuff is another LAHS tradition where junior and senior girls play against each other in a flag football game at the end of the school year.

Most of the class of 2025 arrived at the beach in sweatshirts and sweatpants, drinking Starbucks with their friends. Some brought blankets to sit on the sand, and others stood in groups watching the sun come up over the pier.

“I think it’s a good way for everyone to see their friends, meet other people and oversee their high school years,” said senior Taylor Drake.

However, there was not much organization to the event. Students simply showed up with their friends, took photos and hung out for about an hour. No music, food or games were provided at the event. Some Griffins expected donuts or other incentives to make the early morning more fun.

Students began clearing out of the beach around 7 a.m., many to breakfast with their friends on Main Street before late-start first period at 9 a.m. Seniors with a zero period headed to LAHS for class at 7:27 a.m., and others skipped.

“I like it on a late-start. I think it’s a little hard for people that have zero period because a lot of them don’t want to miss class, but aside from that, it was great,” Drake said.

Last year’s Senior Sunrise was not much of a sunrise because of the cloudy sky and fog, but this year, the sky was clear when the sun rose at 6:22 a.m. Students took photos with the golden sunrise and pale pink sky as a backdrop, and groups of friends passed around a frame that said “Senior Sunrise 2025.”

“Enjoy every moment,” Thao said. “It’s going to go by so fast.”