Well, congratulations! You did it! You're graduating. Graduating is a major milestone in life and you've reached it. No more early mornings, no more breakdowns or tests; at least until you get to college. High school graduation will be one of the high points in your life, so don't just pass it by, enjoy it.
I know everyone tells you not to rush it, or wish it was over, and they are entirely right. Cherish these moments you'll only get to have once in your life. Appreciate your classmates and even the annoying ones, because, trust me, you'll miss them and their quirky aspects. To this day, I still look at my old yearbooks and reflect on my high school days.
To the graduating seniors who play sports in high school, be sure to remember those last practices and games. Once you have graduated, you will not be able to get them back. Appreciate those suicide runs and end-of-practice conditioning because once those are done, you're going to have to find your own way to stay in shape, and trust me that's not easy. Thank your coach for everything they have done for you and do not let their dedication go unnoticed. Playing that sport in high school shaped who you were and you're going to miss it every day once it's over.
No matter how much you hated high school or how fast you wished it to be over, high school shaped who you are as a person today and who you'll be in the future. All those late nights and early mornings made you a stronger person and you can only thank high school for that. Those teachers you wished would just be quiet and let you get through their class in peace, also shaped you. They pushed you to persevere and finish what you started, and once again, you can only thank them for their work.
To stray away from the hard goodbye's and thank you's, you will now be off to your future and your freedom. The freedom is the best part about leaving high school. Although you may have a job that you still have rules for, just the fact that you're out of high school gives you more freedom. In college, that freedom grows. You decide when you want to eat and you decide when you want to do your laundry. You decide what clubs you want to join and you decide whether you want to go to class or not (which I suggest you do). It's all up to you. This is your time to live and your time to shine.
So, here's to you. Here's to those late nights and difficult exams because you're done. Cherish these last moments of your high school career because you can't ever get them back. Shoutout to Sebring High School for shaping who I am and for helping me pursue my dreams. I wouldn't be where I am today academically and socially without you! Happy graduation to the Class of 2016!
