I’ve spent the last three mon—no.
I’d like to start by thanking ever—that sounds fake.
If I could summarize the past four ye—boring.
To ask me to summarize what is widely regarded as the most cringe-worthy, stressful, psychologically-taxing four years of my life is kinda…difficult, to say the least. I don’t exactly remember anything that happened earlier than last week, so formatting this blog in that way would be nigh impossible.
But here we are.
High school has been a blur of late-night homework, hallway traffic jams and the occasional existential crisis in a bathroom stall. And yet, somehow, I’m walking out of this place better than I walked in. Not taller (that’s what the lifted sneakers are for), but definitely stronger, more self-aware, and with at least a 12% increase in emotional resilience.
I owe a lot of that growth to my teachers. Seriously. From the ones who pushed me harder than I thought I could go, to the ones who slipped in life advice between lectures, every single one left a mark. Sometimes that mark was “you need to turn your homework in on time,” but other times, it was more profound like showing me the value of patience, persistence or just how far a little kindness can go.
And my friends—what would I have done without them? From shared snacks to shared breakdowns, we’ve been through it all. They’ve made me laugh when I wanted to scream “bloody murder”, listened when I needed to vent about something entirely mundane and reminded me that I’m not the only one just trying to keep it together. Whether we bonded over group projects or procrastinated until the last possible second, they’ve been the best part of this experience.
Then there are the moments that shaped who I am now. The random conversations that turned into deep connections. The failures that taught me more than success ever could. The risks I took, even when I was experiencing medically concerning heart palpitations. All of it matters. Even the embarrassing stuff. Especially the embarrassing stuff.
I’ve changed. I’ve grown into someone I’m actually kind of proud of. Someone who can handle more than they thought, who speaks up more often, who knows that mistakes don’t define you; they refine you. And while I can’t promise I won’t trip into adulthood face-first, I’m stepping forward with the tools and the lessons to figure it out.
So no, I won’t tie this up with a neat little bow or quote a dead philosopher to sound profound. Instead, I’ll just say thank you to the teachers, the friends and the experiences that made me better. My high school experience wasn’t perfect, but it was fun. And somehow, that makes it all worth it.
