As the final four days of high school approach seniors, there is a lot of pent-up excitement and anxiety surrounding the whole situation. Personally, I am a little bit wary of how no longer being a student at Fossil Ridge High School will feel, but all of these new chapters the class of 2022 is embarking on are incredibly comforting. Seeing what my peers have planned for after this year makes me excited for them and ready to move on to a new chapter in my own life. 

This school is, obviously, all I have known for four years, especially because I had a strong attachment to sports and journalism here, so it is saddening to be ending my time. I wrote my farewell to the dance team a few months back, and have been reflecting on the ending of this long journey. I have grown a lot in high school, and when I think back to the beginning, it feels like no time has passed at all.

I often forget that I am in this year’s graduating class since it still feels as if our sophomore year never came to an end. Dealing with COVID-19 as a fifteen-year-old doing virtual school was confusing and definitely challenging and I applaud our young generation for getting through such a scary time in our lives. It amazes me that it has been over two years since the original outbreak and it feels as if time was frozen since then. Now, coming out on the other end, finishing up classes, spending my final lunches with my friends, and preparing for graduation is absolutely heartbreaking. 

Reflecting back on my journalistic experience, I am incredibly grateful for such a supportive and growth-oriented environment throughout high school. I started off as an uneducated writer and later became the Head Copy Editor of this wonderful newspaper. Benjamin Degear, the encouraging and kind teacher of journalism, will forever be someone I think back to when I am in need of advice or a pick-me-up.

Going all out for senior prom, participating in fundraisers, and being draped in school spirit is what I want to remember about Fossil, not the countless assignments I worked on and the relationships that eventually got lost. I hope when I look back, I remember this moment of gratitude for this school and the people in it.

As for summer, my friends and I are creating a bucket list to complete before we all go our separate ways. The week after graduation, we are going camping for two nights in the mountains, and we all could not be more excited about it. We are going to have no technology, so we get to spend quality time with each other away from the outside world. I have been with this specific friend group of these girls since the beginning of freshman year and we have never drifted apart in any way. They are very special to me and getting these last few months together before our adulthood begins is going to be something I will cherish forever and think back to in years to come. 

I feel like I spent my whole high school career eager to get out, but now that it comes to it, I do not ever want to leave this point in time. When you are an underclassman, everyone tells you to enjoy the little moments because it goes by quicker than you realize, and I did not understand that until it was me giving that advice. Thinking of the time ahead is terrifying and the unknown is what eats away at me sometimes, but the future is also exciting and thrilling to revel in. With that being said, appreciate being this young and do not try to move quicker than you should because, I promise, you will want these memories forever.