On Instagram, grade-level accounts have become a new way for students to stay connected and keep up with what’s happening across campus. Senior Millikan students have been creating Instagram accounts to spread information about senior events and activities, but more recently, juniors and sophomores have taken to social media to create their own activities.
Created to help students in different grade levels and in all pathways, these student-led Instagram accounts share information, planned events and activities, and projects to create a closer-knit grade community.
For seniors, the MillikanCo26 account highlights everything ranging from announcements, senior activities, and college commitments.
PEACE senior Angie Archila says that she loves how the account is posting seniors committing to their college and major of choice.
Archila said, “I see a lot of people committing to schools that I’m planning on committing to. So it’s kind of fun knowing that you have a familiar face there.”
These Instagram accounts aren’t just for upperclassmen. Recently, underclassmen like Class of 2027 and 2028 have decided to participate in the accounts. QUEST sophomore Chloe Guille said, “It’s cool that they’re trying to connect the grades because everyone’s in different pathways and they let you meet new people.” The sophomore account even organized a “Sophomore Social” to encourage students to connect in person.
With hopes to engage students earlier, the sophomore Instagram account, MillikanCo28, was created earlier than the other accounts had been. They ran an open application through flyers and were voted on by the Sophomore Class president Henry Tom. Simply put, the thought behind creating the social media account several years earlier was to allow students to connect within pathways and sponsor community events.
Following the class of 2026 and 2028, the junior class had open elections for its board committee. On their Instagram account, MillikanCo27, the chosen board posts the “loop” for event planning and asks students to participate and interact because the plans made are for their senior year.
These accounts are sponsored by Mr. Robinson and ASB, they help support on campus events.
Although current freshmen have not created a social media account to spread their upcoming events and plans, there’s still a while until senior activities apply to them.
As more students follow and engage with these pages, grade-level accounts are turning media into more than just entertainment, it’s building a stronger sense of community at Millikan.
Caitlin Ujiie • May 18, 2026 at 1:59 pm
On May 7, 2026, Jayla Cortes wrote an article titled “Graduating Class Instagram.” I was browsing through Corydon’s latest articles, and this one specifically caught my attention. I think it is a great way for students to connect with others in their grade, especially for both seniors and incoming seniors, as we get closer to the end of the school year. I also believe the accounts are helpful for sharing information about class activities and creating fun opportunities for people to connect, bond, and feel more included on campus.
Additionally, these Instagram accounts can help highlight important milestones, recognize student achievements, like what colleges students are attending, and keep everyone informed about upcoming events such as rallies, dances, and graduation-related activities. Overall, I appreciate how this idea encourages school spirit and helps build a stronger sense of community among students. I think Cortes did an excellent job presenting the perspectives of some students’ opinions on the account and did a good job explaining the accounts in general.
Kaya Sangkarat • May 18, 2026 at 1:39 pm
On May 7, 2026, Jayla Cortes wrote an article titled “Graduating Class Instagram Accounts”. With the increasing reliance on social media platforms for connection, the rise of forums for various graduating classes has been a trend observed at our school. Cortes explains the nature of these accounts that general students were not able to uncover, allowing students to understand the origins of the accounts. Cortes thoughtfully organizes the information on a seemingly simple subject in a way that allows her audience to understand the context and purpose of these accounts. She also addresses the lack of an account for freshmen but acknowledges the original purpose to organize activities for senior year as students near graduation. The explanation of a simple topic with a larger meaning is an asset that Cortes has a clear understanding of. I hope that the unionization of students by graduating class will eliminate any gaps when students near graduation, allowing for a greater sense of community within the graduating classes.
Sincerely,
Kaya Sangkarat
Kaia Nguyen • May 18, 2026 at 11:16 am
I like how this article thoroughly explained how these instagram accounts are aiding students in having a better experience while at Millikan High School. Cortez successfully emulated how students feel about these accounts by getting perspectives from a wide range of students including PEACE senior Angie Archila and QUEST sophomore Cloe Guille. By doing this the author really encapsulated the overall benefits of these accounts. One thing that the author could improve on, is the fact that she considered juniors as underclassmen. If she corrected this error it could better show that although these accounts are more targeted at seniors other upperclassmen as well as sophomores have their own accounts that they benefit from as well. I would have also liked to have seen the author better explain how these accounts work and how they are managed. That would give readers an intriguing inside look to these accounts especially since most students are already familiar with what these accounts put out for students.
Caius Moore • May 18, 2026 at 9:32 am
I found this article to be very informative and helpful to those not yet familiar with the new social media accounts. I have been trying to get more involved with my year class, and in doing so, it has allowed me to meet many new people from all pathways who are all juniors too. I think everyone should know about the new Instagram accounts in order to be more involved as well.
Also, it is incredibly helpful to have one page dedicated to events that only have to do with my year. I think each graduating class should always have their own dedicated social media page to help students plan and engage with events that actually are directed towards them. Personally, I found the article very helpful to anyone who is not already involved with their other graduating classmates. It explains the importance and reasoning behind the new accounts, along with how they have already begun engaging with the rest of the school, for example, with the “Sophomore Social.”
While this article was very informative and important for many students to read, I think it could be enhanced by explaining more from the perspective of the students who actually created the class accounts. Perhaps by showing more of the behind-the-scenes of what is going on, and what is being planned for the future, readers/students would be more inclined to engage further with their own classmates.
Parker Mills • May 18, 2026 at 9:30 am
As a part of the Millikan Class of 2027 board, this piece intrigued me. I love how the article highlighted that these accounts have the ability to build a stronger Millikan community. I absolutely agree that the accounts are extremely helpful in bringing people together and allowing students to stay up to date on the events that are happening within their class. I feel that these platforms allow students to stay involved with school activities and even more, feel as though they are a part of a larger community. I was excited to see that this piece included the college commitment posts that the Millikan Class of 2026 is doing at the moment and I found the quote by Angie Archilla to be quite meaningful. I like how the quote highlights that these accounts not only help to build a stronger community that helps students to get through high school but also a community that stays with them into their future. Changes in our lives can be daunting at times, especially something as big as college, and being able to see that there will be some familiar faces where you decide to go can be extremely comforting. To come to a close, I truly enjoyed this piece and how it was able to highlight the usefulness and community building factors of the class instagram accounts.
Ella Cates • May 18, 2026 at 9:20 am
This article, written from a student’s perspective, discusses how each grade level has created an Instagram account to inform their students about stuff around campus or upcoming events. The way Jayla was able to incorporate and mention all grade levels’ Instagram accounts and what they are doing allows us to see what is occurring throughout. Her structure is strong and allows us readers to fully understand the content clearly. I feel that it is important how she was able to interview students and ask them how they felt about these accounts and if they were impactful. This gives us feedback on how to better the accounts and make them more student-friendly. Coming from my personal experience of being on the board, I have been able to see our committee become closer through our board meetings. A couple of weeks ago, we hosted a class of 2027 meeting for students to give us feedback on what they are looking for during our senior year. Just during that meeting, I felt that people were able to connect across all different pathways, and it was nice to see our graduating class bond.
Sadie Albert • May 18, 2026 at 9:18 am
On May 7, 2026, Jayla Cortes wrote an article titled “Graduating Class Instagram Accounts” which I feel I must praise. It summarized the topic nicely and gave me enough information to understand the topic. It was an easy read yet still very informational. It gives multiple examples and explains their goals very nicely. For someone who didn’t know the purpose of these accounts, this article does a great job at explaining their necessity. Their goal of inclusivity and connection is an important purpose and these accounts should be celebrated.
My favorite part about this article is the visuals. The cover image orients the reader right away into what the topic is. Some people don’t know what these accounts are so seeing what they look like is important for the reader to understand the article and be able to keep a look out for them on social media. In addition, the other image gives a nice example of what these accounts do. The other image makes it clear what the commitment posts are. It highlights the account’s ability to engage with the eye-catching colors and their creativity.