Coming in to high school, I didn’t have many expectations. I didn’t think it would be magical, wild or life-changing. I was wrong about the first two. In essence, simply being in high school hasn’t changed my life. What changed my life was all that occurred during these past four years, and like my peers, high school has served as the backdrop.

Freshman year was awkward and I’m sure that thought applies to most of the student body. For me, freshman year mainly consisted of being insecure. In retrospect, I can attribute this consistent feeling to the fact that I was in a new environment and had little to no sense of self-confidence. I was somehow quiet and obnoxious at the same time; don’t ask me how I achieved that aesthetic. I also joined track and became the slowest distance runner on the team. Basically, freshman year wasn’t the best.

Things picked up a bit during my sophomore year. I gained many wonderful friendships that I cherish every day and I was glad to not be on the bottom of the high school totem pole. Honestly, sophomore year isn’t that significant to me because it pales in comparison to my junior year.

I felt somewhat pompous coming in to junior year. I’m not sure why I felt so entitled, maybe it was because I had an off campus pass and was now considered to be an upperclassman. I piled on the AP classes and became a slow runner on the cross country team. I formed a few more friendships and made a bit more progress in becoming someone that I am proud of today. Then suddenly in October, I became dangerously close to losing someone very important to me. I was oblivious to a family member’s depression and am very grateful that he is still beside me today. This terrifying experience struck my interest in the importance of mental health and being aware of it, and I decided that I will someday major in psychology with an emphasis on marriage and family therapy. Thankfully, the rest of my junior year was absent of scary surprises and it finished on a happy note.

Many firsts happened the summer before my senior year, leading into the first semester. These included getting my braces off, working at my first job and passing my driver license test. I’ve continued to appreciate all of the lovely people that enrich my life and I’ll admit that this year has been slightly emotional so far. I know that a year from now I will be missing those little nuances that I take for granted every day. I will miss cramming homework with friends before class. I will miss the familiarity of walking across campus and saying hello to the same people each day.

In actuality, high school occupies a small part of the span of my life: simply four years. However, this fact in no way minimizes the impact that has been left on me by all of my experiences. My time here at West High will always hold a special place in my heart as I move on to the next stage of my life in college.