As I’m writing this with three weeks left of high school, I’m going to admit something I know a lot of seniors are feeling: I’m excited to leave. I’m excited to go to college, explore a new city, meet new people, and not have seven classes a day. It’s not because I hated WJ or high school in any way—far from it—but because I’ve come to terms with this chapter of my life ending and new one beginning.
That’s what high school is after all: a chapter. It begins and ends and, in the grand scheme of life, is just a part of a larger story.
It seems obvious, but it wasn’t until recently that I fully understood this. I realized I’m not going to remember each grade I received or every goal I scored or every person I had a conversation with. It makes all the time I spent stressing over these things seem futile. Instead, I’m going to remember the times when I let go of anxiety, and chose to do what I enjoyed.
I’m going to remember joining The Pitch as one of the best decisions I made during high school, because it was one of few classes I took that didn’t feel like an obligation, but a genuine community. I couldn’t imagine high school without The Pitch and all of the amazing people I met through it, especially Mrs. Borrelli.
I’m going to remember going out on a limb and trying robotics, something I had no prior knowledge in, but was simply excited to learn more about. The people who graciously taught me and encouraged me to pursue robotics are the reason why I’m majoring in mechanical engineering and I landed a robotics internship at the NIH.
I’m going to remember trying out for the WJ girls’ soccer team, where my love for soccer was rekindled and I had the most fun playing in a long time. My experience with the team reminded me why I started playing soccer and motivated me to continue playing in college.
As someone who once thought high school would never end, I can now say high school is fleeting. I’m glad that I took advantage of these four years to do the things I enjoy, but I honestly wish I had done even more. I wish I had chased even more interests and passions and exposed myself to the other amazing communities within WJ despite the internal and external pressures I felt.
Instead I’ll carry this lesson with me to college in hopes that I find communities and people as outstanding as the ones I discovered at WJ. But to the people I did have the pleasure of meeting and experiencing high school with, I only have one thing left to say: thank you.
