Poway High School’s class T-shirts, food containers and ear buds were just a few of the 50 or so items sealed in a time capsule that will be opened by students in 2050.

The time capsule, a first for Poway High, was organized by the school’s Student Alumni Club with help from ASB students and Titan Ambassadors. Items reflecting the campus in 2025 were placed into the capsule during a ceremony held near the Titan Museum & Hall of Fame on May 2.

“We collected items so students can compare our lives today with how their lives are in the future,” said Ellie Smith, co-president of the Student Alumni Club. “We made a lot of predictions that it will be different technology-wise with AI having a more dominant role in teaching. And there may be some differences to our campus, maybe it will be bigger and the sports fields will be renovated to look a little nicer.”

Smith, a senior, said she and co-president Sophia Sparrow plan to return to Poway High when the time capsule is opened in 25 years to discover how the school has changed.

Courtesy Larry OttPoway High seniors Sophia Sparrow, left, and Ellie Smith helped add items to a time capsule that will be kept at the Titan Museum & Hall of Fame. (Courtesy Larry Ott)

Larry Ott, president of the Poway High Alumni Association, said the time capsule reflects the vision of the Student Alumni Club’s motto, which is “connecting Titans then, now and forever.”

“The time capsule is a way to celebrate the present while creating a bridge to the future,” Ott said. “We have collected items that are a snapshot of our lives today. When we open this time capsule in 25 years, these preserved memories will give us, as adults, a chance to reflect on how much has changed. But more importantly, it will allow us all to honor the traditions of excellence that define Poway High while leaving a legacy for future Titans to cherish.”

The time capsule, to be kept at the campus Titan Museum & Hall of Fame, is labeled with engraved plaques that describe its purpose and the intent to unseal it on May 2, 2050, Ott said.

Items selected for the time capsule were based on feedback from five officers and 15 other members of the Student Alumni Club, Smith said. ASB students recommended including class stickers and class T-shirts, Smith said. And Titan Ambassadors, who represent Poway High on elementary and middle school visits, included trading cards that depict their own interests and character traits.

“We took a group photo with a Polaroid camera so we added a Polaroid printout of everyone in attendance at the ceremony,” Smith said.

Courtesy Larry OttPoway High’s new time capsule contains T-shirts, photos, trading cards and memorabilia. (Courtesy Larry Ott)

Sparrow, a 17-year-old senior, said some of the capsule’s items like a Poppit fidget toy may be a bit confusing to students in the future.

Other items may reflect school pride, such as a photo of the Poway High football team, which won the Division 2 state championship this year, and the girls’ softball team that just won the San Diego Division 1 championship.

“The football team was awarded a banner and the team members were holding the banner in the picture,” Sparrow said, adding that the new logo for letterman’s jackets was also included in the capsule.

Other items in the capsule include Crumbl Cookies packages and earbuds with wires that may be outdated in the future, Sparrow said.

“I think the students thought it was cool,” she said about the ceremony that was held outside on campus during a morning break. “After the ceremony, people were coming up and taking pictures of the time capsule. Some of them said, ‘I’ll be old’ when the time capsule is opened.”

Additional items included a copy of the school newspaper, The Iliad, and a gift card from a local restaurant.

Ott said members of the Student Alumni Club also wrote letters to their future selves that described their goals, aspirations, reflections and predictions for the future.

Smith said her letter described her Poway High experience and how the school influenced her. The soon-to-be graduate plans to major in psychology at San Diego State University this fall with the goal of becoming a children’s therapist.

“I said Poway High and the Poway community are a great experience and I hope the community is as positive in 25 years as it is now for me,” she said.

Courtesy Larry OttPoway High School Student Alumni Club members Sophia Sparrow, left, and Ellie Smith led the ceremony to seal the school’s first time capsule. (Courtesy Larry Ott)

Sparrow’s letter described her high school experiences with a focus on her participation on the gymnastics and cheer teams for four years. She said she envisioned students in the future reading the letter and wanted to encourage them to get involved in campus activities.

“I would suggest people join a sport or club, or just get involved somehow so they would have a place on campus and could meet friends,” said the graduating senior who plans to study biology at UC Santa Barbara this fall. “I wrote, ‘Don’t be afraid to try things. You could do it one year and not do it the next year if you didn’t like it.’”

Members of the Alumni Club and Student Alumni Club said they’re now considering creating a time capsule every five years.

“The students definitely really liked it,” Smith said. “A lot of the Titan Ambassadors said it was a great idea and exciting because we hadn’t done it before. They wanted to make sure our graduating class had a lasting contribution to our campus, so they were definitely happy with it.”