Back in freshman year, I distinctly remember my mom suggesting that I join the newspaper. She even picked up a magazine from the Pitch table at the club fair to try to convince me. I still had no interest. Well, here I am as a senior, finishing my one year as a member and wishing I had joined earlier. Lesson one: Moms are always right.
I’ve absolutely loved being a print news editor. I’ve pushed myself out of my comfort zone in writing and learned new skills in finding and interviewing sources and laying out pages. However, the main thing I feel I got out of being on the Pitch was confidence in myself. I showed myself that I can find my place in an already very close-knit community. Lesson two: You can learn a lot from any experience in high school, so put yourself out there.
I also want to highlight some of my favorite classes and teachers outside of Mrs. Borrelli and Pitch. Far and away, my favorite class was first-semester AP Psychology with Ms. Acquard. I also surprisingly enjoyed AP Calculus AB with Mr. Laukaitis and Ms. Silverman (the best long-term sub of all time!). Some other memorable classes were AP Government with Ms. Muehl, AP Human Geography with Mr. Merrill, Italian 1, 2 and 3 with Ms. Cavallini, Physics with Mr. Willard and Music Technology with Dr. Helgerman. Lesson three: Teachers can make or break a class, but it’s up to you to make the most out of it. If you appreciate the effort your teacher puts into helping you learn, put some effort into connecting with them.
Overall, I’d say I’m decently prepared for life after high school. I’ve never been satisfied with how our school system works, much to the dismay of my parents, who’ve had to deal with my complaining for seven years straight. While I still hope to contribute to changing the school system at some point in my life, I’ve come to realize something. Every dreadful aspect of school, from getting up at the crack of dawn to spending hours on busy work, prepares you for the future. It does this not through the actual content, but through forcing you to do things you don’t want to do. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of busy work and early mornings in adulthood. But here’s my final lesson: getting past these annoyances and finding your true purpose is what life is all about. You shouldn’t worry about finding your purpose right now, but know that it’s out there somewhere waiting for you.
My time in high school, like most people’s, had its ups and downs. While I have plenty of regrets and moments I look back and wince at, I’m grateful to say I learned a lot and can take the next step forward more confidently than the last.
