As I sit here and reflect upon my past four years of high school, one main thing stands out in my mind: the countless hours I’ve spent worrying about the unknown. Whether that be about the endless tests and projects tied to academic pressure to do well, friends, finding passion within myself to better understand what I want to major in and college admission decisions. I have always felt uncomfortable at the thought of blatantly not knowing what was to come or how things would end up. I needed to know.
The past four years have taught me to come to terms with the fact that uncertainty is a natural, inescapable factor that comes along with existence and that the journey of living through the unknown should be valued more than anything; it’s where all the unexpected, yet best memories are hidden. I have found myself making some of my best friends with people I least expected and in places I least expected, and I will forever cherish those memories and take them with me as I flip the pages onto the next chapters of my life, where more is waiting.
As for the countless tears and hours studying and worrying about my academics, I can say that it all worked out for the best in the end. It even grounded me to realize the potential I have as an individual to take steps and make the uncertain yield into certainty and learn to accept and make the best out of matters I simply have no control over.
Now, to say that I’m 100 percent comfortable with the concept of uncertainty would be deceit; I’m still gradually integrating with it. But one thing for me is certain: the beauty of life is truly within the uncertainty it holds and I have my years in high school to thank for helping me realize that and enabling me to carry that onward.
My first day of Senior year, I decided to join the newspaper. I was nervous at first because I had never written a detailed article before, except for the small paragraphs in my English class. However, I decided to try it out to try and get out of my comfort zone to write things that I was really proud of.
Once I got into the classroom, I was very shy and timid because I did not know the other members of the newspaper very well. I was even more so when I had to do my interviews with people I did not know that well. As the year went on, however, it all got easier with the support of my friends in the newspaper. This class taught me how to open up and gave me a passion for writing I did not know I had before. Writing and interviewing people became fun to me. I was always curious about the next story I would write about next.
Newspaper made me more aware of the world around me and how to see the beauty and importance of everything no matter how small or unknowing it might be. If I would have to give a message to anyone interested in doing something such as this, it would be to go for it. You never know what could happen, and it might just be one of the best experiences you ever have.
When I was in third grade, I had one recurring daydream. My classmates and I were fairies, flying high above the clouds with our iridescent dragonfly wings without a worry except the wind stinging our eyes. And that’s how I was most of my life: wild and untethered, thoughts wandering far from the world my body inhabited.
It wasn’t until my sophomore year that I was pulled down to Earth. I was taking a Genetics class with Mrs. Dembisky, and I was awed. Wasn’t it wonderful? Wasn’t it useful? Wasn’t this something I could do with my life? Soon enough, my dreams began revolving around genetic research instead of fairy dust. My future felt tangible for the first time, and with that realization, I felt tangible too. When I breathed in, it’s like I could taste the air. I could see the colors and their vibrance. I could feel the earth beneath my feet.
With one tether in place, many others followed. Talking with Gaby at lunch each day, winning a medal on Wakefield’s Science Olympiad team, walking the goats in Animal Science. I built relationships and memories stronger and healthier than ever, and I’m happy to say that I found my niche in Wakefield High School and the world.
It turns out that the most rewarding fantasy I had was one rooted in the world around me. I matured along with my dreams, growing into someone grounded by her love for her classes, friends, family, and real possibilities of her future.
But now that I’ve put down my roots, it’s time to pick them up again, lay them in Georgia and ingrain myself in a new community. I still look out of the window and dream. I still have an incurable longing for more. But instead of just dreaming, I’m going into the world to discover those desires using my own two feet.
As graduation quickly approaches, I find myself reflecting on my time at Wakefield High School. Over the past four years, I have changed so much; maybe not to someone looking from the outside, but internally. When I first stepped into this building, I entered a school for the first time in almost a year and a half, with a mask covering my face and those of all my peers. Now I am leaving some of the greatest memories, friends and experiences.
I wish that I could tell my freshman year self that it is okay to not get a 100 on every assignment, that not everyone is going to be your best friend and that many nights will be spent crying over homework. While these may not be what anyone wants to hear, it is the truth. I have learned that everything happens for a reason, and while there may be setbacks, there is always a lesson to be learned. Getting a 36 on a test taught me that it will take a lot of hard work to achieve my goals, and no longer speaking to someone I thought would be one of my closest friends taught me that there are people who want to see you succeed, and it is important to surround yourself with those individuals.
It brings me so much joy to keep learning about the world and myself, and I am grateful that I have had the opportunity to explore that throughout my time in high school. These past four years have provided me with important takeaways that I will be sure to bring with me into my next chapter of life. I am eager to move forward, but it is bittersweet seeing how much I have changed.
As I walk across the stage, I will be thinking of all of the lessons I have learned – and also those I have yet to learn.
With my final days of high school quickly approaching, I have begun to really think about my years at Wakefield High School and how it has helped me break out of my shell. Ever since I was a kid, I have been very quiet and shy. I always avoided big group work, in-school activities and making lots of friends. Once I entered high school, I was still that shy person, but was slowly being broken out of that shell by the people around me. Since ninth grade, I have surrounded myself with amazing groups of people and participated in classes and activities that my younger self would be shocked to hear I was doing.
In ninth grade, I decided to join the drama club, which was very new to me. I have always been a fan of musical theatre and Broadway, but was always too scared to put myself out there to get involved. At the first meeting, I was introduced to fun theatre games where I met many different people with similar aspirations. I quickly became friends with many of those people and continued to stay close with them to this day. I continued to stay involved with the theatre company and was an avid supporter of all the productions they put on until junior year. This was the year I had a friend convince me to get involved in a production. I chose to help with the costumes for the show, and when I started, I immediately fell in love with it. I was able to blend my love of fashion and clothing with theatre and put something on stage that I was greatly proud of.
Since junior year, I have tried to be involved with everything Wakefield Theatre Company produces. I have been a part of costume designing and tech for shows like “Guys and Dolls,” the annual Haunted House, “Descendants: The Musical,” “The Little Mermaid Jr.” and“Chicago: Teen Edition.” All of these productions have taught me one thing: not to be afraid to put myself out there in the world.
As the lights dim on my last days as a student at Wakefield High School, I want to say thank you to my friends and this school for breaking me out of my shell and allowing me to be myself in the truest way possible.
“Because I knew you…I have been changed for good.” -Wicked The Musical
As graduation draws near and I reflect on my four years at Wakefield High School, a lot of memories come to mind of stressing about AP exams, spending endless hours at homework, waking up at 4:30 a.m. for morning swim practice and many more. However, what prevails the most when I consider my high school journey are the friends I’ve made and all the things I learned about myself along the way.
Going into my freshman year of high school, I was a very shy, closed-off person who did not have many friends and was very anxious about beginning the next chapter of my life. I dreaded any group projects or unassigned seating that would require me to talk to people I didn’t already know. If it weren’t for my love of history, encouraging me to engage in class discussions in AP World, I would’ve barely spoken to anyone that whole first year.
Toward the end of my freshman year, my Creative Writing teacher, Ms. Dudley, encouraged me to join the newspaper. I was a little wary at first, but my love of writing encouraged me to apply. When I found out I was accepted, I was overjoyed with the opportunity. As I began my sophomore year as a member of The Howler staff, I became more comfortable with my surroundings and was able to meet new people and develop new friendships. Being a part of the newspaper also gave me the confidence to talk to people, to be unafraid of approaching random strangers for interviews, to step out of my comfort zone and to write about topics I normally would not have.
As the friendships I made both in and out of newspaper blossomed throughout my junior and senior years, I grew in confidence and pride in myself. As I move on from high school and embark on my new path toward college and adulthood, I feel more confident and prepared than ever before. Despite all the tears shed and struggles overcome, high school shaped me into a better person — and now it has come to an end.
My entire life has been spent at Wakefield High School, I was raised here. As a kid, Wakefield felt vague and massive, a place I hadn’t yet uncovered. For the longest time, it was just the place where my mom worked. But now, as a graduating senior, I see it as something so much more meaningful.
My time in high school was about more than academics — more than chemistry, statistics, grammar and history. It taught me about myself. For years, I labeled myself as dumb, picky and incompetent. But my experience here proved those words didn’t define me. I’ve learned I’m witty and hardworking. I’m realistic, but I also aim high. I only wish I had discovered this sooner.
Sometimes I wish I could go back and hug my younger self — she needed it. She was anxious, self-critical and unsure of where she fit in. I’d tell her how far she would come and how proud she should be.
I started my time at Wakefield as a freshman with few friends and little community. Today, I leave as someone surrounded by incredible people who helped shape me. As much as I wish I could tell younger Katie everything will be okay, I know every high and low along the way brought me here.
The road ahead is uncertain and scary. In a few weeks, I’ll graduate from the place I’ve known for 17 years. I’ll move to a new town, meet new people and step into the unknown. But I carry with me the lessons, the memories and the hope that my next chapter will be just as transformative.
I’m excited to watch the new season of my life unfold. I’ve heard it’s going to be the best one yet.
Goodbye isn’t usually a word I like to use because it’s used to close the door on seeing someone or something again. But for high school, it is the right word. I’m saying goodbye to a lot of familiar faces who I’ve grown very accustomed to seeing almost every single day, spending my free time hanging out with and maturing alongside.
My choice to go to DePaul University, which is located in Chicago, was one that took a lot of consideration on my part. While my family could afford it and the opportunities I’d get access to living in such a big city would be immense and paramount to my success in my career of choice, the thought of leaving the people I loved behind always scared me.
I’ve enjoyed spending time with some of my best friends over these last four years, making memories and doing things we probably shouldn’t have been doing. I’ve also enjoyed spending much of my senior year with my girlfriend, who I will be quite far away from for a bit in college, but adore endlessly nonetheless. Moving away from all of this is not easy and I’d be lying if I tried to claim this doesn’t scare the life out of me every single day.
Yet, if high school taught me anything – aside from all the stuff I was supposed to have learned – it’s that every new opportunity is scary, yet that fear will always subside. From the fear of what’s new emerges a lifetime’s worth of great memories. All of the amazing people I’ve met, cool things I’ve done and sweet moments I’ve had will not only last forever, but also be joined by new, amazing experiences as I go off to college in an incredible city like Chicago.
So while I have to say goodbye to much of my normal life, including writing for this amazing newspaper, I’m incredibly grateful for my time at Wakefield and all the lovely things I’ve learned and people I’ve met. While moving on from this all is very bittersweet, I know the future is bright and the road ahead is full of exciting twists and turns. I’m so ready to see where it all takes me.
If you were to ask me what stuck out to me the most during my time in high school, my mind would automatically go to the copious projects I had to complete and late nights of studying. However, as I’m hitting submit on my last few assignments, I’ve realized that high school presented so much more to me than I had originally understood. Underneath all the academic stress were indelible lessons that I have noticed myself change significantly from.
As I walked into the school building on my first day of freshman year, I was terrified. I kept my head down as much as possible, I wouldn’t even tell anyone it was my birthday to avoid seeming annoying. You could usually find me in the back of class, quietly scribbling away at whatever work was assigned to us that day.
This all changed quickly with the classes I took and friends I met, with a large part being owed to my newspaper classroom and the like-minded and kind people I had found in there. They offered me support through the good and bad, and made me realize that my voice did have power, and I should never be ashamed to use it. I had finally felt comfortable enough to truly be myself. This newfound confidence I had found got me through even the hardest points of my high school career. I now knew I could survive any fights with friends or a seemingly never-ending pile of work.
As I’m gearing up to turn my tassel and move on to bigger things, I can never take for granted what these four years have done for me. The self-confidence and courage I now possess did not come easily, but learning how to be myself and give myself grace during what may seem like the end of the world will never be forgotten. I am walking into this next chapter holding not only my hard-earned diploma, but also everything I didn’t think I’d learn.
