Four.  Four whole years of high school.  All the tears, homework, stress, happiness, wonderful teachers, memories, friendships and sports are all coming to a final close.  As cliché as it may sound, these years flew by.  Now I am here, spending time writing this as opposed to playing club penguin, to share my final goodbye.  You’re welcome.

First off I want to say how incredibly blessed I am.  Majority of the time I tend to scream at my poor binders instead of being thankful for actually having an education.  Many people in this world are not given an educational opportunity so I should not have taken my time here at Reagan for granted.

As a freshman and as one of the smallest kids in the school, I was terrified to even step foot in these hallways.  Tall people intimidated me.  Period.  I learned my way around fairly quickly and made it through my first year with little stress and a few great friends.

As a sophomore and still one of the smallest kids in the school, I encountered just a few stressors but nothing I couldn’t handle.  I was always super focused on softball during the week and the weekends that school was never top priority.  Safe to say, I made it through the year.

As a junior…. oh boy.  Here is where the stress began to kick in at full force.  Taking AP classes, playing softball, working and balancing church all in one was difficult.  Most of my friends were experiencing the same type of stress so I knew I wasn’t alone.

When I made it through my junior year in one piece, I honestly cried.  I know that sounds dramatic but it was one of the worst years of my life.

Now here I am, as a senior, proud to say I am still one of the smallest kids in my class and a completely different person from the scared little redhead I was freshman year.  Along with all the stress, I learned some of the most important life lessons that I hope I can share with others.

I feel like this would not be a proper goodbye without expressing my gratitude to a few special people in my life who have made high school so memorable.

First off, the newspaper staff.  You guys have all been the best and I couldn’t be more grateful to be a part of a class that keeps me entertained constantly.  Even you Mrs. Overby.  (Thank you for all the Starbursts.  They were great.)

To all my friends I have made over the years and all the wonderful teachers who have created a safe space for education.  Thank you for the drama, the love, the memories and the laughs.  High school without any of this would not have been…well high school.  Special thanks to my best friend, you know who you are, thanks for everything.  See you tomorrow morning.

Most importantly, the biggest thanks to my parents.  Jenner, (yes, my mom is okay with me calling her this, calm down) you have always embodied strength, charisma, intelligence and grace.  You have been the greatest role model for all my life and have held me strong to my faith with Jesus.

Dad, as much as we like to argue, and it’s quite often, you have always been my biggest supporter.  From taking your little girl to dance, Tae Kwon Do tournaments across the country and almost every single softball tournament, you have done it all.  You showed me how independent I can be and that is something I will never forget.

Okay enough with the sentimental stuff.  I need to bring this to a close before I begin to ramble even further.

As I begin my last couple months of high school, I reflect on all the good and bad that this school has brought me.  Reagan is such an amazing place.  Please do not take your time here for granted as it truly flies by.

Next year I will be forty-niner at UNC Charlotte, but that doesn’t mean I will no longer be a Raider.  I will cherish that title forever.  I am so grateful for all the opportunities that this school has brought me.  It has truly been an emotional rollercoaster that I wouldn’t change for the world.

It’s been a pleasure Reagan.  So long for now.

Oh I almost forgot!  Mr. Walsh.  I am so sorry.  Whenever you asked me every day if I was stressed and I said “not at all”….yeah I lied.  It was in fact your class that brought me the greatest amount of stress.  Super grateful for AP US History though.