By: Ella D’Auria
If you’re a Syosset student who has reached your penultimate year of high school, then you are in on one of Syosset’s most long-standing secrets: Junior Day. A tradition for nearly 20 years, the day offers one of the most transformative experiences of high school; it’s an opportunity to see one’s class and one’s time left as a high schooler in a new light.
If you haven’t yet experienced the day, fear not. Mrs. Terri Tozer, a physical education teacher at Syosset for over 25 years, said, “We want students to go in not knowing what to expect. It’s a day of challenge—you’ll grow and be stretched a little bit. It really is a rollercoaster; there are so many highs and lows and all types of emotions involved.” Mrs. Tozer has been deeply dedicated to the day in her time at Syosset. “This was my first year taking on a host role, but I’ve been a facilitator and teacher participant for years,” said Mrs. Tozer. However, her new position wasn’t the only thing that allowed her to understand a new meaning of the day.
Mrs. Tozer is a three-year survivor of breast cancer. She said, “Those were some of the hardest years of my life. What people don’t see every day is my battle and the struggle I still have with it.” At Junior Day this year, Mrs. Tozer told her anecdote of perseverance and strength to the 11th-grade class. “I wanted to tell it as a story of resilience. Whether it’s something similar or not, we all have a story. After my journey, I wanted to know how I could help somebody through theirs. I’m lucky to be here now to share, and I want to pay that forward,” said Mrs. Tozer.
Through her struggle, Junior Day has become a medium for Mrs. Tozer to uplift others and help adolescents realize that they aren’t alone. When asked what she hopes students get out of her testimonial and the day, she said, “I want everyone to understand that we all have stuff that we go through—whether it’s ourselves, our family, or our friends. I want people to really show some love for each other because you just never know what someone is going through.”
This very sense of hope, togetherness, and understanding is what makes Junior Day so special to Mrs. Tozer. “I think it’s so important for the students and teachers to come together…for everyone to be on a level playing field mentally and emotionally. As humans, we need to have this empathetic side,” she said. Her story continues to remind students year after year that true strength can grow out of vulnerability.
