As my senior year dwindles, I am starting to prepare for the next phase of my life. College always seemed so far off in my life thus far, but this past year, it has finally moved to within my reach. As graduation inches closer, I am starting to look back on what defines my last four years at Walter Johnson. Each year I have continued to find my place at school, in the community and with friends.

Like many other freshman, my journey at WJ began at the New Student Picnic. I still remember that event so vividly, as I was eager to get involved in activities and reconnect with my friends in high school. As I walked around, I decided to sign up for many clubs, including Debate, which would impact my entire time at WJ – even though I didn’t know it then. I’ve done debate for all four years and this year I got to become a captain, which helped me grow so much as a person and become more of a leader. I’ve loved learning about new, interesting topics and improving my public speaking.

While I’ve been involved in multiple activities, my experience on The Pitch has had a huge impact on my life and it was the largest thing that defined my high school experience. I first decided to take the journalism class (prerequisite to The Pitch) my sophomore year because I had always loved writing, but at the time I had no idea I would fall in love with article writing and working on a newspaper. I’ve met so many people I would have never met otherwise and I’ve gained so experience in leadership and stepping outside my comfort zone, especially with interviewing staff and students.

Despite these passions, throughout high school, I was worried I was not participating in the right activities or getting involved enough. I considered joining a sports team or theater, and I would always say that I never thought having numerous interests would cause a problem. I was so worried about missing out on things, that I often forgot to enjoy all of the incredible things I was involved in. By my senior year I have learned to live in the moment, and while it has been hard to deal with the stress of college applications and decisions, senior year has given me a great mindset. I realized that this year is my last chance to take risks and take advantage of every moment. I went out for lunch more, went to more sporting events and made sure to become more involved in the WJ community.

It’s hard to grasp that soon I won’t see my friends and classmates everyday and I’ll be living a completely new life, but change keeps things exciting and will create a new drive and motivation for me. I know now that wherever I end up, I’ll always remember my time at WJ.