High school seniors are choosing to wear little kid-style backpacks as a fun trend during their final year at Potosi High School.
Social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram have helped spread many trends. This is where most of the Potosi senior girls first heard of seniors buying children backpacks. Before school started, Manhattyn Udelhoven, a senior at Potosi High School, created a group chat on Snapchat of all the girls in the class of 2026 and discussed how they could come up with fun plans like senior jeans or fun backpacks for their last school year. All the girls loved the ideas and started to shop for backpacks they were going to get for their upcoming senior year.
Senior Lillie Cooley was one of the first to find a backpack that suited her. At first, she was searching for a Cinderella backpack since Cinderella was her favorite princess as a kid, but it was hard to find one in stores. After looking at Walmart and finding nothing she liked, Cooley looked online, but unfortunately, only found really expensive Cinderella backpacks. Instead, she continued to look in Dubuque, where she found just a backpack with several princesses on it. Even though Cooley did not get the Cinderella backpack she wanted, she still loves her princess backpack. Unfortunately, Cooley’s backpack zipper broke back in November, but she says she loved it while it lasted.
Another senior who has bought a new backpack for her senior year is Jordyn Robinson. When asked if her backpack had any sentimental value to her, Robinson said she wanted a Paw Patrol backpack since it was her favorite show when she was younger. After looking online and at a couple of different stores, but coming up empty-handed, Robinson finally found a Paw Patrol backpack she liked at Walmart. Jordyn loves her new backpack, and even though she is graduating early, she has used her backpack all of the first semester.
Upon switching to children's backpacks, no students said they felt they had less space. Some may have fewer pockets, but overall, the backpacks could fit each student’s schoolwork. Certain backpacks that students got were not of the highest quality, resulting in the zipper breaking. However, I have found no problem with my own Spiderman backpack, and neither has Jordyn Robinson with her bag. She even plans to give her backpack to her little brother for when he goes into second grade next fall.
As graduation approaches, these kid-style backpacks have become more than just a trend at Potosi High School. Influenced by social media and shared interests among classmates, seniors have turned something simple into a fun memory. Whether the backpacks last all year or only a few months, the nostalgia they bring makes them memorable.