I think the one piece of advice I received most going into high school was: “make the most of it, it goes by fast.” And while I won’t say people were wrong to tell me this, I don’t think it’s something I needed to be told. At least not so frequently. Four years is a short amount of time no matter what, but there’s so much change that happens in these specific four years that are supposed to make them special. And I think that’s really what makes them “fly by.” I met new people, made new friends, had teachers I loved and hated, took classes I couldn’t stand and some I couldn’t wait to go to. I think looking back on freshman year, whoever I was back then is no longer me. Instead, he’s some weird embarrassing version of myself that hopefully only lives on in a few people’s memories. 

Newspaper, of course, has been a highlight for me these four years. I remember the first article I ever wrote. I also remember the first article I was ever proud of, the first one I enjoyed writing, the first time I ever felt my style of writing really click into place. Each story feels imbued with its own memory, some good, some bad. But all of them are mine no matter what.

Nothing in school would have been worth it for me had it not been for my friends, though. I met my friend Maxson in Intro to Journalism. And while that class wasn’t exactly a favorite of mine, I’m thankful for the fact it introduced me to a person like him. My friends from middle school, Adie and Breanna, have helped me to succeed in so many ways it’s impossible to describe. I hope I get to continue to enjoy my life with them no matter what. My friend Jasper is someone who I will probably aspire to be like for the rest of time, and I really don’t know what I’ve done to deserve getting to know a person like him. And all of my friends from newspaper, people like Aria, Emma, Em, Jack, Jackson, Sebastian, Lincoln, Thisbe, Grace, Eva and everyone else have lended me so many gifts and good times, I don’t think I could ever thank them enough. 

While I see no substantial future for myself in newspaper, I will forever remember it as the thing that helped me define myself most in these short four years. And while they truly have gone by fast, I hope I never forget them or the people that gave them to me.