Here I am starting my final article in fourth period Pitch while the storyboard meeting is taking place. I am currently trying to hold back tears as I bid my final adieu to Walter Johnson, my classmates and most importantly, The Pitch. I have been sitting on this doc for the past six minutes struggling to simplify my last four years in under 500 words but there is so much I need to say and not enough time to write it.

I transferred to WJ in the second semester of my freshman year after a chaotic couple of weeks. From there, I signed up for Journalism because my counselor advised me to do so, not knowing that walking into room 193 was just the beginning of it all. I had no idea that I would fall in love with The Pitch and writing in general.

My overall high school experience wasn’t the most exciting but it was definitely memorable. Although it consisted of homework, studying with friends, Starbucks runs and Pitch lunch meetings, it was the little things that made my high school experience as memorable as it is.

I had some lows, especially sophomore year when I struggled with my mental health and an ADHD diagnosis, but looking back at it, the one that had kept me sane all these years was the environment in room 193, The Pitch.

The Pitch was the one thing that I had done in my four years of high school. It was the one class that I never missed, the one class that I put 110% into, the one class that I felt like it was okay to be myself and the one class that helped me through everything while putting a smile on my face when I was holding back tears (as cliche as it sounds).

Thank you to my friends who had watched me go from the overly-weird freshman that I once was, to the less weird senior that I am now. Thank you to my teachers who have helped and supported me through all my academic struggles. Thank you to the Editorial Board for listening to my never-ending rants and giving me advice on the smallest and most insignificant things; you guys were my built-in friends this year. Thank you to Mrs. Weddle for replying to all my emails and helping me through every small inconvenience that occurred in my life.

And last but definitely not least, thank you, Mrs. Borrelli. Thank you for being my school mom and comforting me when I break down in the hallway. Thank you for emailing me when I’m absent to make sure I’m alright and for being the only teacher who recognized my absence. Thank you for listening to me and supporting me throughout the years and watching me go through all my stages. Thank you for fostering my love for journalism and writing. Thank you for filling our classroom with love and support. You are the one teacher I will truly never forget because of your lasting impact on me. Thank you for providing me with the environment that is The Pitch.