As my last year of high school comes to an end, my advice would be not to take any moment for granted. Although everyone says this, it is true; high school truly does go by quickly. Cherish and be present with the people you love, because before you know it, you will all be going on separate paths. WJ has led me to meet amazing people, both teachers and students, who have left a lasting impact on my life.
My high school experience was full of ups and downs. Whether it was worrying about my grades or college applications, there were more than a few moments of stress, but the people I surrounded myself with made all the difference. My friends understood how overwhelmed I was because they were going through the same thing, and teachers were there to offer advice and reassurance. My experience was changed for the better thanks to the community of people who supported and lifted me up.
During my time at WJ, I joined clubs and took AP classes, but what WJ offered that brought me the most joy was The Pitch. I was only on the Pitch during my senior year, but even with one year, the Pitch has been my favorite part of high school. The Pitch creates a welcoming and loving environment full of people who want to see you succeed. Knowing that I had members of The Pitch rooting for me was motivation to keep pushing. Even though I don’t want to pursue journalism as a profession, The Pitch offered me a creative outlet to write articles about things I was passionate about while also challenging me to achieve things I may not have thought I could.
High school events may seem like the most important things right now, but truly, no matter if your high school experience was bad or good, what happens in high school won’t matter. I hope to take what I’ve learned in these past four years through the rest of where life takes me.
