June 10, 2020
Senior year is unlike any other academic experience. It’s not quite like kindergarten where you get a rolled-up certificate and cute graduation cap too big for your head or even eighth grade where you anxiously await the transition into a whole new school. At the end of this chapter, you start the rest of your life.
I remember beginning my freshman year doe-eyed and ready to handle whatever challenges would be thrown at me. When walking through the senior hallway it was easy to get intimidated, but it was also exciting to know that’s where I would be in a few years.
The daunting process of finding the perfect college, assembling applications and the fear of not getting into college are over. I never could have pictured myself as someone who would be calm during the worst of situations, but this separation from society has opened my eyes.
When you finally make it to senior year, you’re officially top dog. With your last sports meets and games, prom, banquet and Project Graduation to look forward to, it’s hard not to be excited to make the most of it all. However, these privileges proved to be far more short-lived than any of us could have ever imagined.
2020 has been a roller coaster ride. I mean who could’ve ever expected that in a single year I would become an editor, stress about what I’m going to do with the rest of my life, grow closer to my lifelong friends and get to swim with an amazing club team. Then, the world literally came to a halt.
Despite the madness of it all, I somehow find myself feeling hopeful. The daunting process of finding the perfect college, assembling applications and the fear of not getting into college are over. I never could have pictured myself as someone who would be calm during the worst of situations, but this separation from society has opened my eyes.
High school has taught me much more than I like to give credit for. One of these lessons has been the importance of support. Even if you do not notice it, whether it was a best friend who is always there, a parent who is providing for you every day or a teacher who pushes you to go the extra mile, there is always going to be someone in your corner.
As a self-driven student and athlete, it is easy to say that I got myself here, but at the end of the day, the validation and support I have received from my friends, family, teachers and coaches has allowed me to acknowledge my potential. I’m excited to see what the future holds for me at Rider University in Lawerence Township, N.J., where I will be majoring in Health Sciences and swimming on the university’s Division I team. This month may mark my send-off from the Lyndhurst Public School District, but I know so much more is in store for me soon.
