Jasmine Wilson-Johnson

Going into high school you are not really sure how to prepare yourself. You hear adults talk about how they wish that they could go back and relive those joyous four years of their life, but you can’t really understand the experience until you are a high school student yourself. Freshman year: you are new to campus with more kids than you are used to. You associate yourself with a couple of friends that you believe are going to be your besties until you graduate. A couple of relationships are emerging between students, but nothing that is substantial. Sophomore year: the friends you had acquired freshman year are still here and accounted for. The relationships start to fade slightly and classes aren’t difficult yet. Junior year is when trouble starts to occur. The stress levels start to escalate due to AP classes that are now on your schedule and friendships vary on a day to day basis. College is now a topic of discussion not by choice, but force.

Senior year is now here and you didn’t think it could come fast enough. Pep rallies, homecoming, spirit week, sporting events, senior day, senior night. They all seem to have fit in one day for how fast the year has gone. Out of the original high school friend group, only two or three are with as you rep your future college. Chorded with my cap and gown, I asked myself “Did I really make it through four years of high school?”. I did. I made it. I am a part of the class of 2019 and now am about embark on my new chapter of life.

For any incoming students that are entering high school, enjoy your time here at Wakefield. There is so much to offer and organizations to be a part of. High school is just like everything in life, you are going to get out of it what you put it. Get involved in clubs and organizations as well as sporting events because that can be where most of the memories happen. Maintain your grades throughout your high school career so that you obtain the best GPA possible. Just enjoy the time you have as a high school student without stressing yourself out completely and comparing yourself to others. You are embarking on your own journey in which it is unique to you and your situation. This is only the beginning of an era that you will cherish forever.

I would like to thank my family first for everything they have done for me throughout my childhood and young adult years, for being very supportive and loving through the rough years. Also, I would like to thank the students and staff of Wakefield High School for helping to mold me into the person I am today. I plan on attending North Carolina A&T with a major in Communications and Mass Media. I am excited for this next chapter and can’t wait to see what big things are in store for me in the future.