While this school was only one of ten that I have attended, it will always hold a special place in my heart, mostly for the people and memories that are found inside its walls. Especially during my senior year, this school has helped to form me into a college ready young adult. It’s crazy to think that in just a few short months I’ll be miles away. Buying all my own groceries, decorating a dorm, and no longer being able to simply call my friends to randomly hangout after work. Despite this bittersweet feeling, I am choosing to focus on all the things that make saying goodbye so difficult, as the feeling of missing something is just a side effect of being able to love it.
Words cannot explain how grateful I am for everybody that made this year possible for me. My friends, teachers and classmates that helped to support me, encouraged me, and made me realize that I need to be myself, and accept whatever comes of it. My friends taught me that I can get through those days that feel like they will never end, and always reminded me they are just a phone call away. Thank you Nick, Rebekah, Gabby, Jake and anybody else who I have confided in during my time at this school.
This year was also a huge turning point in my writing and academic abilities. It was pointed out to me that, even without trying, emotion is shown through a person’s writing. It is obvious when someone actually cares about their article, and isn’t just writing about something because they have to. I learned that it’s okay to write about something that’s commonly seen as ‘taboo’ or ‘unspeakable’ because if you care about something, it is important and that voice deserves to be heard.
My main piece of advice to anybody reading this is to speak your mind. Write about whatever you are passionate about, even if someone has once told you it’s something you should hide from others as it’s “embarrassing” or “not normal.” I am very lucky to have been taught this lesson by my favorite teacher, Mr. O’Loughlin. This year I was diagnosed with BPD and was told by my family to be ashamed of it, and to not tell people because they may see me differently. I decided to step outside of my bubble and write a first draft about BPD. Mr. O. encouraged me to finish it into a final draft, and that the article was good because it was obvious I cared about the topic. This one person, one comment, changed my view on writing. If it weren’t for this journalism class, I would have never gained the courage to just let people think what they want and be myself, even if it is embarrassing or taboo. That being said, thank you to Mr. O’Loughlin, and all the other teachers who I have had the privilege to be taught and guided by, you all have truly helped me in more ways than just academically.
As my final goodbye to this school and The Hoot, I can only hope that everybody else who will graduate after me can learn a few things from this letter. Be yourself so loudly you can’t hear anybody judge you. Do what makes you happy, write about your passions, join whatever club or class you are interested in. Even if you are scared, terrified or doubtful, do it because it’s better than not even trying. You will never be able to make everybody happy, but as long as you can make yourself happy, the rest will fall into place. You will attract people who want to see you thrive, and you will learn to grow into such an amazing person. Thank you to everybody who helped me learn all of this, and thank you to everybody trying to learn it for themselves.
