By the time this article will be published, I (and all of the other class of 2023 seniors) will have graduated. Honestly, I don’t understand how my high school experience has gone by so quickly.
As I am writing this, I am in the final stretch of high school. AP exams are coming up, my final assignments are revealing their due dates, and I already know at what college I will be starting my next chapter of life.
While some days, I feel plagued by senioritis and anxious to graduate, I am so grateful for my entire high school experience. I have learned so many lessons, found my passions, and most of all, I found myself.
To the freshmen, sophomores, and juniors, I wanted to use my last column to share a few things I have learned throughout my high school career.
1. You don’t have to make everyone like you. It’s impossible to be adored by everyone. Instead of focusing all of your energy on making one person like you, cherish your close friends.
2. Do the things you love. You don’t have to force yourself to do something you hate just to fit in.
3. It’s okay not to be perfect academically. At the end of the day, if you can look in the mirror and say that you did your best, that is enough.
4. Go to school activities. Grow close to your classmates. You will inevitably lose connections with many of them, so use your time with them wisely.
5. “People will forget what you say, people will forget what you do, but people will never forget how you made them feel,” so make your best effort to be the sunshine in someone’s day.
Overall, I am baffled how quickly these past four years of my life have gone by. I have met a variety of different individuals and had a variety of different experiences that have crafted me into the person I am today.
As I write this in early May, I am in denial that I’m graduating in less than a month. Sometimes I forget that I won’t be at JC next year to write for The Patriot, run a Women’s Empowerment Club meeting, or participate in JC service projects. I also find it hard to recognize that this time next year, I will be in a completely different school with completely different students and professors.
This entire year, adults have been telling me how much of a change college is, and as the days creep closer to graduation, I am starting to feel feelings of fear, excitement, and sadness that I will soon be going through this change.
My time at JC has taught me things I will remember forever. So, juniors, sophomores, and freshmen, take advantage of the quickest and most memorable four years of your life. Soon enough, you’ll be walking across the stage to receive your own diploma.