June 22, 2021
Everyone always told me how fast high school would go by, but I never truly understood that until recently. I reflect on the last four years and recognize how much I’ve changed and grown as a person. I’m grateful for every memory: those I wish I could forget and those I wish I could relive because all of them taught me important lessons and shaped me into who I am today.
My 13-year-old freshman self would have never believed me if I told her I’d be graduating from a different high school and living through a pandemic. These experiences made high school far from ideal, but I made the best of them. The adversity taught me that in life, you never know what’s going to happen, and when unexpected changes occur, you have to adjust.
What’s great about unforeseen circumstances is that they can give you the greatest memories that otherwise wouldn’t exist. If I hadn’t come to LHS, I never would have met so many amazing students and teachers. I never would have followed the undefeated football team my junior year to a final game at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford where they got annihilated 0-41 by Verona High School. I never would have joined the swim team or enrolled in journalism.
If Julia Glowacki hadn’t talked me into joining The Lighthouse, I wouldn’t have been a part of such a talented and dedicated group of writers, illustrators, photographers and podcasters. I’m also glad Julia has become such a great friend whom I have been able to spend two years with at LHS.
Journalism showed me how much potential I have as a writer and how to improve upon my skills. I want to thank The Lighthouse adviser Ms. Pastor for her dedication in helping me produce my best work as well as English teacher Ms. Biber for taking over the class for two marking periods during Ms. Pastor’s leave of absence. Both teachers provided a unique journalism class environment that couldn’t be replicated anywhere else.
I’m grateful for every memory: those I wish I could forget and those I wish I could relive because all of them taught me important lessons and shaped me into who I am today.
I also want to give Mr. Carucci a shoutout for being an awesome cross country coach and Advanced Placement statistics teacher. He was always there to brighten everyone’s day, and I will remember all of our fantastic conversations. He’s one of the most dedicated people I know, and I give him a lot of credit for that.
Finally, I thank my boyfriend Tony for being such a significant part of my high school years. It wouldn’t have been the same without him.
Although I am sad to leave high school behind, I am happy about what my future holds. In the fall, I will be studying quantitative finance at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken. Although the high school chapter of my life is about to close, I’ll always revisit it to remember some of the best times of my life. See ya, LHS.
