When I was a freshman, I thought I had all the time in the world. I thought I would be able to try new clubs, find new friends, go to parties, and become independent. I thought I could transform my personality and become the best of who I could be. Looking back on that time, now as a senior, I see that I was idealizing the majority of high school, but I got some things right.

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to join The MV Current when I was a freshman. At the time, our school did not have chromebooks, so the writing process took forever. We cherished the time we had to write or upload photos after waiting ages for the old computers to turn on. We used InDesign to layout our pages, back when we still did a physical newspaper. With chromebooks, it was much easier to write and post on our social media and website. Today, we are an all-online news source. I never thought we would have made such progress in two years.

When I was a sophomore, I joined tech crew. Working backstage on plays, musicals, and concerts was a key part of my high school experience. I learned about lighting, building set pieces, and working as a team to make each transition as smooth as possible. I met some of the funniest, caring, and selfless people in tech crew. They became a family to me. We worked for countless hours on painting, building, and talking about the shows we were a part of. We created a group chat. We are family. As much as I am excited for going to Ball State this fall for Journalism and Education, I will always remember our moments together.

Art has always been a part of my life. My nana made jewelry, painted, and sculpted. I grew up around her creating art pieces to sell during her retirement. As I grew up, I realized my own artistic ability. Part of that journey was joining National Art Honors Society. Surrounded by talented artists, I was able to freely express my skills and perspectives through art, as well as grow in the craft. Through murals and charity events, the community was beautified by our chapter. I am thankful for the opportunities that NAHS gave me to service my community through art and meet other student artists bound for great things.

Senior year is the long-awaited year. Seniors get to stay active by participating in volunteer work at the end of the year, voting for awards for senior Oscar night, and celebrating each other’s academic endeavors and futures. I spent the whole year prepping for graduation, and now that it is upon us, I feel relieved, yet sad.

“Senior year could not have come sooner, and I cannot wait to go onto what else is in store for me,” said Liddy Nyman, 12.

Everything I have worked for in the last 4 years, even 12 years, has come down to May 25th. I cannot feel more proud of myself.