Well, we made it guys. Graduation is right around the corner, with only one more day of officially being high-schoolers. We've all been waiting for this very moment, but I think we can all agree that it still feels surreal. Once sophomore year came to a close, I vividly remember freaking out and saying, "GUYS we're halfway done with our high school lives". Look at us now. We've all been excited for college and the future beyond, straight-up done with this school, simultaneously scared for the future, stressed out with college essays, AP work, and all the exams, sentimental for all the good times we've had, and all the rest of the varied emotions that come with graduating.
It seems nearly impossible to sum up the high school experience in words. High school was a time of tremendous personal growth, of making mistakes and learning from them, of taking risks and being eternally grateful, of meeting many different people - having you all alongside me throughout this crazy amazing journey is something I can not fully express my gratitude for. Among all the stress of high school, especially our senior year, I always knew I could count on you guys. I mean, nothing beat those hours of sitting in Starbucks together and trying to get work done before deadlines, but we just couldn't stop laughing, ranting, mentally breaking down, sharing stories, and yes, we did get our work done at the end of the day. On that same note, we better go down in history for those iconic English presentations, like the HAMlet video and all the rest that we couldn't present without at least one laughing fit.
At the end of everything, these will be the things which I miss most about high school. The little things that we all did together, brightening our school days, with no idea that they would be the big things. In the wise words of Winnie the Pooh, "we didn't realize we were making memories, we just knew we were having fun". So I will miss the fun group projects together, lunches full of Bachelor rants and Wiki-How exorcisms, cheering in the student section at home games while decked out to match the themes, school dances where we'd all go way too hard to Don't Stop Believin', John's Plain and Fancy Diner whether it be for surprise birthday celebrations or a post football game feast full of obnoxious laughter. I will miss the campfires, wandering aimlessly around the Q-Mart, the Lake Nockamixon adventures and picnics, those late nights simply talking for hours on end, dance parties in the school parking lot, and blasting our favorite songs on car rides together. But I know that this summer is about to be the best summer of our lives.
You all are such wonderfully unique, strong, dedicated, and kind people, and I can not wait to see you all succeed. I wish the world for all of you. Though we'll be all over the east coast, from University of Vermont to University of South Florida, I'll hold onto all of our memories in my heart forever. I'm so thankful for the times we had as high-schoolers in this little town, and I know that we will have many more while also going on to do big things. But home won't know what hit it once we all come back.
These little moments shared together, in the midst of the chaos that is high school, have significantly shaped my high school experience and even who I am as a person. I have learned that I really value the little things, the happy moments which can be found anywhere with the right mindset, and the uniquely personal connections I have made with so many of you wonderful people throughout these past four years. Thank you all infinitely for coming into my life at this perfect time. It doesn't seem like it's enough to just say "thank you" for showing me friendship, happiness, and love. To those of you who have been there for me through it all, I love you longtime. And to those of you I've only met this year, thank you for everything. I am a firm believer that people come into our lives for a reason, and I am so grateful to have gone through high school with all of you. I hope you've had the time of your life, because I surely have.
