Tatyiana Davis

My childhood laughably revolved around the iconic, Disney original movie, “High School Musical”. Whether it was singing in the shower or hanging posters on my wall, I often envisioned how my high school experience would be. Nevertheless, life has a knack for unwelcome change. I had to go from my imagined freshman scene, where hands would touch as a boy would help me up in the locker bays, to crutching down the hallway to the school’s elevator, injured. Expectations have been the story of my life, therefore I couldn’t help but to anticipate senior year. Even though a long, arguably awkward, walk across a stage would’ve been nice; it can’t precisely personify the hard work I committed to for four years. 

I’ll miss the botched pronunciations of my name that I’ve bestowed. I’ll miss the familiar classrooms and faces. I’ll miss complaining about school and then complaining when it’s over.

Not everything goes according to plan and I’ve learned to not have a fixation on tradition. Yet, I have to admit, my goodbye to high school hasn’t been an honest one. I haven’t learned anything, for I still have these expectations. Expectations of where the girl who’s lived in the same city, same home, same walls, would find herself better. But with such expectations being seemingly out of reach, it’s easy to question their point. Still, I can’t ever find myself letting go of them and for that, I’m not sorry. 

A dream can be strong enough to characterize you and once achieved, you prove to others they have no say in who you can and can’t be. The Howler was a dream. I walked into fourth period excited to express, to fail and find a voice in between. Though, like every good dream, you wake up and it ends. To my fellow graduates, don’t let the end of this chapter discredit our success. So yes, to Troy Bolton, I guess we really are “All in this together”.