From nostalgic TV shows to video games, a senior backpack is a way to connect back to childhood in the final year of high school. 

Senior Julianne Rast chose a backpack with Draculaura on it from “Monster High.” For Rast, buying “Monster High” DVDs and watching the movies with her brother were some of her favorite childhood memories.

“When I was a kid, whenever it was movie night I’d always pick a ‘Monster High’ movie,” she said. “Then I’d force my little brother to watch them with me, and now he remembers them too.”

Rast’s love for Monster High has been lifelong. 

“I had all the Monster High dolls,” she said. “I would play with them all the time and I’d bring them on all my trips.” A fun memory from her childhood was when Rast and her cousin would play with the dolls at her grandma’s house. 

“My cousin would take apart their hairdos and then go to my grandma’s bathroom and use all her hair products to redo them,” Rast said. “They were always terrible, but it was fun.” 

Rast added that her personality is similar to Draculaura’s. “She’s just a sweetheart, and she loves love, and that is how I was as a kid,” she said. “She’s so me-coded.” 

Monster High has also gotten her through some tough times. This last summer, when Rast got her tonsils out, Rast said she watched all the Monster High movies during recovery. 

A senior backpack is just a trend to most, but to senior Molly McKinlay, she hopes it becomes a tradition.

“I’m hoping if it’s not destroyed by the end of the year, that I can pass it down to one of my junior friends so she can use that as her senior backpack and then continue the chain of passing it down,” McKinlay said.

McKinlay’s backpack represents her love for Roblox, with it displaying characters from the game on it. She has played Roblox for longer than she can remember, looking back to times she could still play as a guest — a now dated feature. “I’m definitely a roblox veteran,” she said.

McKinlay’s backpack is a representation of her as a child, as well as just connecting back to her childhood. “It represents my inner child and forgetting insecurities,” she said. 

This backpack wasn’t an easy one to find. “I went to five Walmarts and none of them had it,” she said.

After searching far and wide and visiting numerous stores, McKinlay finally found the backpack she was looking for. 

Senior Emma Washburn’s backpack has Dora from “Dora the Explorer” on it. “I love Dora,” she said. “I feel like if she was a real person me and her would be best friends.” 

Her backpack — which is very colorful and bright — brings the fun to senior year. It has pompoms and lots of color, making it the perfect senior backpack for Washburn.

Quoting things Dora says or things from the show is something Washburn often does. “I always make random references to Dora throughout the day,” she said. 

Washburn said that, to her, senior backpacks symbolize the end of her childhood. Having a senior backpack is a way of saying goodbye to her youth. Washburn described finding her backpack somewhat like something out of a movie.

“I was originally looking for a Spider-Man backpack, then I saw this one and I was like, ‘this is the one,’” she said.

Senior Jordan Willis chose a senior backpack with Hello Kitty on it because of her love for Hello Kitty. The backpack shows a bunch of characters, symbolizing her and all her friends. 

“The Adventures of Hello Kitty & Friends” is something she grew up watching, so finding a backpack with Hello Kitty on it was perfect for her senior year.

In the process of finding her senior backpack, Willis said one of her best friends, senior Charlie Beatty, was a big help. Beatty was in Hobby Lobby when she found the perfect backpack for Willis, one that she knew Willis would love. Beatty gave her a call and bought the backpack. 

Not only does the backpack symbolize her childhood, it also represents her growth over her high school years. 

“I used to care a lot about what people thought, especially my freshman and sophomore year, and now I don’t really care.” Willis said. “If you think my backpack is childish and you don’t like it, that’s fine. I like it.”

Whether you’re looking to do a fun tradition with friends or find a way to tie your childhood back into your senior year, a senior backpack symbolizes many things. It ties together memories and fun in your final year of school.