Here we are. Last article. Let’s get it.

When I was a junior, I had predicted that I would spend most of my senior year soaking in every moment before I had to leave.

In reality, I spent a lot of senior year counting down the minutes until I got to leave high school, go across the country to college, and never look back. I would miss my friends, of course, but I was ready for change.

And then school was taken away from me, and I realized how much I wished I hadn’t taken every moment for granted. I wished I hadn’t skipped Early Bird so many times or gone to the nurse during French so often. I wanted my time back.

Upon reflection, I realized that I didn’t really need my time back. Sure, it would have been nice to finish out senior year at school, but that ultimately wouldn’t have changed much.

The bulk of my high school experience, all the highs and lows that made me like it so much, had already been experienced.

I spent 3 and a half years (ish) learning, growing, and changing A LOT. I went into freshman year wanting to be a fashion designer. Lol. I can confidently say that I no longer want to be a fashion designer, and that’s a result of everything that high school gave me. It gave me the opportunity to find what I care about, what makes me genuinely happy, and pursue it.

And all of that was done in the earlier parts of high school, not the second semester of my senior year.

Above the opportunities and interesting classes and cool cafeteria, what made high school special was the people, some of whom I’ve been going to school with for 13 years. When I went back to school to get all of my stuff, I wasn’t sentimental because of the pretty new building or less pretty old building.

I was sentimental because every staircase, hallway, and chair in the third floor commons reminded me of memories I had made with people. So many places I had laughed, or cried, or shmooped a book, or taken a nap. All surrounded by some high quality people.

As much as I complained about the workload, the stress, and the administration, I really loved high school. I owe a lot to New Trier: the teachers, the extracurriculars, Vicky at the coffee bar, they all made my time worthwhile and meaningful.

So thank you New Trier. Sometimes it wasn’t so great, and I definitely have some long-term damage from the consistent lack of sleep. But more often than not, I was smiling. It gave me a good four years, and I wouldn’t have wanted to spend them anywhere else.

It’s really weird to think that high school is ending. By the time this paper is out, it will be over, which is crazy. It’s sad. But also happy. I don’t know.

Fingers crossed that they let me graduate.