Orange County seniors are graduating into a world reshaped by AI, social media, rising costs, political polarization, and uncertainty about the value of college. Students like Maria Poveromo, Andy Ngo, and Ny Nguyen describe a high school experience where lockers, textbooks, and handwritten work have largely disappeared, while AI has become unavoidable and sometimes demoralizing because it makes “honest work” feel less competitive. Chapman professor Vikki Katz argues that schools need to help students slow down, build confidence in their own thinking, rely less on AI shortcuts, and practice face-to-face civil discourse.