We survived. But most importantly, I survived. High school was something that totally took me by surprise because it wasn’t what I thought it would be. In most movies, you see that everyone knows everyone, the popular girls with pink everything and the loser nerds with glasses, knee high socks and allergies. I imagined it like “Mean Girls.” With the Burn book, daily sabotage and parties every weekend. High school wasn’t like that at all. At least not for me.
Senior year was something not expected for me. I didn’t think that it was going to go by so quick. In ways I wish I could stay here longer but then I remember that I hate high school students. Some of these creatures are fun, others are ok, but most of them I can hardly stand.
The thought of not seeing half of the school anymore gets me excited about leaving. I am in denial about graduation, because I won’t be able to see my family anymore, not my blood family but my choir, newspaper and N.G.S.T.R.O.N.G. family. These are the people that I spent all of my high school experience with, and they have seen me happy, sad, irritated, bored, sick, crazy, and they still loved me. Leaving will be devastating, but more memories are coming up.
I have made amazing friends here that I never thought I would even talk to, and I have lost best friends that I never thought I would lose. I have grown closer to so many of my friends that it’s normal to wink at them or to embarrass them at any time of the day. And I have grown so far apart from friends to the point where it’s weird to pass them in the halls. Never the less, I thank all of my wonderful family for the way they made my four dreadful years here into years that I wish I still had.
When school began this year I would start to freak out because the thought of leaving scared me. All year I avoided the thought of starting senior year, because every beginning has an end, and this was and still is an end that I don’t want.
As I walked through the doors for the first time of my last year, I looked around to take it all in, my last year. Then I thought ‘I’m so done with this place.’ And I went on with my day. Every now and then I would dream of warm summer days, but then images of me crying as I walk the stage or sing my last song with my choir pop into my head. These last few weeks are going to be filled with emotions as the unwanted ending approaches. I’m just glad I get to spend my time with my amazing Raiders. The ones that I like.
I think back to seventh grade when I went to my sisters first high school concert here at North. But before the concert started their express group sang “Seasons of Love” by Rent. It took my breath away. When we had our Express concert I sang “Warrior” from Demi Lavato as a solo and leading up to the concert I thought “This is the moment I have been waiting for since seventh grade.” My six year dream had come true, the dream to one day be on the Raider stage singing as an Express member had been fulfilled my senior year.
As much as I would have wanted to be in Express my sophomore and junior year, I think making it in my senior year had made the experience much more thrilling.
Being in Express for only one year is fine because I was able to be a part of the A capella choir my sophomore through senior year. I love singing with such a passion, and I joined choir when I was in fourth grade and I haven’t left since. Choir is the main thing that keeps me going at school when I am having a bad day. Explaining my love for choir is hard because there is so much to say, but it’s hard to express it in words. It would be easier to show you my passion through the songs we sing. The songs that we sing always demand an emotion that I willingly give because of the beauty that it brings. My choir family is the best and I wouldn’t have them any other way. I have made so many close friends these past three years, and I am so thankful for them. I love each and every one in that choir even if I don’t show it most of the time. I am going to miss every single person when I leave.
Ever since freshman year, I had been an officer in the Christian club N.G. S.T.R.O.N.G, and now as a senior I am the president. My freshman and sophomore year weren’t my greatest years spiritually, but when I came in my junior year, I was so much stronger in my faith, and I was ready to make NG strong better. Though we have been pretty successful this year I cannot say that I have been the best president, all I can say is that I did my best. I pray for the best for our officers next year and that they will do much more in the school than I did.
In my freshman year I remember I was in my biology class in the back of the room when I was given a letter. I honestly had no idea what it was about, but when I opened it I just wanted to cry. I had been accepted into newspaper for the next year. I jumped up and down in my seat, and I wanted to hit something because I was so excited. When I came into the JLab as an official journalism kid, I felt weird because I didn’t really know anyone except for the girl I sat next to in J1. Though I didn’t do much my first year in newspaper I tried to not let it get the best of me, so the next year I became a writer which was a lot of fun. I have been a reporter and a photographer for my junior and senior year and that has kept me action packed! Because we aren’t a very large organization, it was easier to bond with each other because we got to work closely together. Though newspaper has made me want to rip my hair out sometimes, I am glad that I got to be a part of this amazing class.
My high school experience wasn’t the way I imagined it to be. It is the only way I would have it. Movies never showed me the bonds I would make; they only showed the drama that it would cause. According to movies I was probably a fail of a high schooler, but to me I was the bomb diggidy. I am proud of the Sherlockian Merlin lover who is all about God that sings like there is no tomorrow and dances in the middle of isle seven at the store. Goodbye North, I truly am going to miss you.