Azzurra Degliuomini

I’m forever grateful for the memories that I’ve created the last four years.

I knew of the quote, “Your high school years are going to fly by.” Everyone was telling me this when I first entered high school and I knew that high school was going to be a blip of my life that was going to come and go quickly. But looking back, four years after I first stepped foot on this campus, I never realized just how true this quote was.

Your high school years are going to fly by, and there’s nothing you can do to slow it down.

I remember that very first day four years ago, coming onto campus for the first time as a high school student. I tried my very best to hold my head up high and pretend like I knew what I was doing and knew where I was going, but it was still so obvious that I was a Freshman. When I think about that day, I think about how ridiculous that was; there’s no problem with being a Freshman. After all, we were all Freshman at some point.

But, I was nervous, and I was trying not to look the part.

My Freshman year was full of many moments that I’ll remember for the rest of my life. From preparing for our first-ever pep rally by painting our faces in 4th period Biology to never being able to finish my Freshman year due to COVID, my Freshman year was a unique experience.

My Sophomore year was something that I could never forget. Waking up at seven, getting up at seven-fifteen, and being seated in front of my computer screen by seven-thirty to begin my school day was a routine that I never in my life did I ever think I would experience. The COVID lockdown and not being able to see my friends, or even interact with my peers, was something that took a toll on me. I needed to experience the classroom; I needed to experience being able to laugh with my classmates because someone made a dumb joke in class. But it was something that I wasn’t able to experience that year.

Some stability was finally gained in my Junior year. Back in school, surrounded by people is where I learn best. I started working and earning my own money, a place I’m still working at a year and a half later. I finally started getting more involved in school life. I became the editor of this amazing paper, worked my way up the ranks of the Criminal Justice Academy, and joined clubs like NHS.

I threw myself in a lot, and I always had something to do. But, it was something that I loved. I finally had a lot to do and it made me feel accomplished.

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Leann Harms

The Newspaper crew in my Junior year.

Senior year finally came around something that everyone looks forward to throughout their entire four years. They tell you that Junior year is your hardest and Senior year is your easiest, but that’s certainly not true, especially if you choose to take on everything at the end.

The beginning of the year saw me applying to colleges. The process of selecting a college and applying to it took a lot. I would spend hours both in and out of school getting all of my transcripts and writing essays. It was a tiring process, but one that I was very happy I ended up doing once I was done.

At the same time, I began taking Dual Enrollment classes, adding more workload on top of the one that I was already doing here. At some point, having to juggle school work from both schools AND my actual job started taking a toll. The days started blending together, and it got worse once I began the process of officially committing to a university.

Committing to a university is so time-consuming. Genuinely. Add the fact that I’m coming to the end of my high school career and I’ve been working many hours at work, it’s hard to find cracks in my day where I can do all that is required of me. But, I try to make it work as much as I can.

As the days keep winding down, and we’re getting closer to Graduation Day, I find myself looking back at the last four years of my life. I feel like the days have flown by, and I find myself staring at a new, and somewhat scary, road. Having to come to terms with the fact that I’m going to be thrust into a world that will swallow me whole if you’re not prepared is a hard concept to wrap my mind around.

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Azzurra Degliuomini

My group of kids from Jumpstart over the summer.

Thinking about your future could be an anxiety-inducing topic, but it’s something you’re going to have to tackle.

These past four years of my life have flown by in ways I didn’t think were possible. I look in front of me and all I see is an uncertain, unpredictable path staring back at me. But it’s a path that I want to take, no matter how intimidating it may seem.

So, whenever someone tells you to enjoy your high school years, listen to them the best you can. It’s only going to be a matter of time before you blink and see yourself walking across a stage and toward a journey to the unknown.