When I close my eyes, I am back at my first day of Kindergarten, and my parents are waving me off to the beginning of a long, challenging, and crazy journey of life. However, when I open my eyes, I realize the last 13 years went by faster than ever imagined. As elementary children, as we get our school emails for the first time with the number 25 in front of our name, that number felt so farfetched, like we would never make it. Yet here we are, May of 2025, the graduation year we have been anticipating. Instead of our moms getting us ready for the first day of school ever, we get ready alone and drive ourselves. There is so much that can be missed about school. Like getting your first car, late night drives with best friends, the maybe not so fun school dances, being on a varsity team, and so much more. However, everything from the past four years of learning how to navigate life teaches so much. “High school is the best four years of your life” is a common phrase that most don’t believe at all. It’s easy to think of all the horrible things that high school put us through, and the scary times of life. Maybe it’s failing a test or just feeling so lost and lonely. However, every day, we put one foot in front of the other and take a deep breath. “The finish line is so close, I can do this,” went through the heads of many, and maybe still does. But the joy that certain things brought us is what will really be remembered for years to come. The first football game of freshman year, the first homecoming, pep rallies, and maybe even winning a state championship title. Finding the place that feels so comfortable in the school atmosphere can be challenging, but for me, I found it in the Journalism room. Coming in every morning at 11 a.m. and talking with my best friend, Elle, about anything for the whole class period, and being surrounded by an amazing energy. Writing has always been something I have been passionate about and have loved; however, when I started writing in Journalism about real-life things, it gave me a whole new perspective, and I will cherish those memories and stories I wrote. 

     Four years can teach a person a lot about themself and the real world. It’s common to wait for things. As elementary school kids, we waited to find our first friends, as middle schoolers, we waited to get to high school and experience the big kid stuff. And now that we’re at the finish line, are we done waiting? The true answer is no, there is always something to wait for and hope for. However, waiting can be a drag. Instead of always looking into the future, taking a step back and experiencing life in the present is much more worthwhile. Don’t always be worried about something that is upcoming; instead, enjoy the current moment, because you won’t have that grasp for long.

     To reflect on school, and all the memories that may have been good or bad, we were all in this together. And unfortunately, that’s the end of that. One of my first memories as a student is in second grade when we had our own class butterfly. We watched the butterfly go through all the cycles of life before it was fully grown. As I think back to this butterfly, I think of myself. Like everyone, I had to go through stages to get to the very end. And although it sometimes felt like forever, and it was too hard to handle it sometimes, waiting to be fully grown, in the end, it was completely worth it to be grown up, and mature.. The experience is worth it, patience and hope are key to remember that you will grow your wings eventually, and love who you are. 

     The world is a scary place, and it can feel so dark sometimes. But there’s always light at the end of the tunnel. So never forget the ones who got us there. I won’t forget to thank teachers and friends for the amazing years, especially the ones who stuck by me through anything, the ones who helped with some of the hardest classes, and the ones who never fail to get me a birthday treat every year. Most importantly, the people who taught you lessons, but also were your best friend in times when you felt like you had nobody else in the world. It’s hard to say it’s over, and to finally say goodbye. Class of 2025, it’s time to move on to bigger things and sign out. So with that being said, 25clmall, signing out for good.