I was so incredibly nervous to start high school. Partly because I missed the first two days of freshman year, and in my brain that meant I was going to be behind from the very beginning. I think my teachers thought I was insane when I walked up to them on the third day of school begging them to tell me what I missed. Pretty sure most of them laughed and said “we made name tents.” 

From the start of 9th grade I knew that I was going to try my hardest; I turned in everything on time, studied for tests, and then freaked out if I didn’t do well on them. And I made new friends, but mostly tried to keep my old ones close, hanging out with them as much as possible. 

One of my closest friends from middle school, Macey Pine, and I had one class together, Intro to Journalism. At first, I didn’t know if I even liked the class; I had never written in a setting quite like that before and I was terrified to interview people. However, because my friend was with me, I stayed in it, and thank goodness for that. Being in that class and connecting to my school in a new journalistic lens forced me out of my comfort zone in the perfect way. 

But things never go to plan, do they?

Going into lockdown towards the end of my freshman year and spending my sophomore year online did almost nothing good for me, besides being able to spend more time with my siblings and the cake decorating that I slowly improved at. Of course, I was still trying in all of my classes and completing all of the assignments–because god forbid I stop trying while the world shuts down. 

However, my social butterfly wings were clipped. 

During those months when I was not allowed to see anyone besides my family, I was what I can only describe as mopey. All. The. Time. I wanted to hug my friends, I need that social interaction to be the best me that I can be.

That is why junior year, when we started the school year in-person at the new McDaniel campus, I was ready to catch up on all of the socializing that I missed out on. I made new friends and became closer with older ones. There were a few classes that really solidified my friendships, one of them being AP Lang. To this day I continue to apologize to Mr. Brunak for how obnoxious my table was for the entire school year.

Junior year I was also finally finding a leadership position on the newspaper staff that I felt comfortable and confident in. It took some work; I had never led a group before, let alone a whole class. But once I got into the groove of things it usually went well. I could not have done it without the help of Miss SB, who does a good job of supporting, as well as challenging me in all aspects of journalism. 

Between my social life and my classes, 11th grade definitely was one for the books. 

Starting senior year I honestly didn’t know what to expect. I saw it as somewhat of an extension to junior year. However, as I continued to make more friends and take classes that I enjoyed more than the previous year, I realized how much I was going to miss McDaniel. I found myself clinging to moments that I knew I would want to look back on. Like going on my last field trip or attending the final volleyball game of the season. This year has 100% been the best year of high school, even with all the lasts.

I can also feel myself fully growing into my editor-in-chief role this year, which makes me even more sad to be graduating. I have gained so much more knowledge this year that I cannot wait to bring into my college journalism program, specifically all that I have learned about designing a paper. 

My time at McDaniel has truly helped me grow into the person I am today. Without the classes offered, I would not have found my love for journalism, without the people I met I would have quit a long time ago, and without the teachers I would not have the knowledge and self-confidence that I hold today. Thank you McDaniel, you changed my life.