Written By: Faryal Zubair, Editor-In-Chief
I’ll be the first to admit that as soon as senior year began, I was waiting for it to be over. People tell you that this is the time of your life and that it passes by in the blink of an eye but I’ve caught time standing still. I counted down the days until AP testing and then waited for exams to start. I felt I had become too big for this small school.
I presume that most seniors end up feeling more or less in the same way. Suddenly, the town we grew up in which is filled with thousands of memories is no longer enough. While that might sound like ungratefulness, it’s rather evolution. No one stays stagnant for his or her entire life and change is inevitable.
As this year does come to a close and it seems that my wish has finally come true, I find myself feeling attached to the high school I wanted to leave so badly. It’s my niche of comfort, my safety; some would even call it a second home.
I remember freshman orientation and how disoriented I felt through it. This so-called small school seemed so big back then. But before I could become too overwhelmed, my friends would snap me out of it. We roamed the school making too much noise and drawing unnecessary attention to ourselves. While that may not have been the best first impression, it helped calm my nerves.
When I think back to how much we’ve grown over the past four years, I’m astonished. We went from staying out past curfew for the first time to getting our very own jobs. My girlfriends and I spent hours slaving over homework and days discussing the reasons behind male stupidity. It wasn’t always easy. While there were countless times I’d fall on the floor laughing, my skin became thicker by the times I spent crying my eyes out.
We started out school as just kids and now we’re referred to as adults. There is much more to that than just a label. Freshman year, I felt like I was breakable, mostly because I wasn’t sure of who I was or my place in the world. As a senior who is ready to graduate from high school, my image is no longer under question. Everyone knows who I am but before they could find out, I had to prove to myself who I was.
Even though I am more confident in whom I’ve become, I’m still discovering myself. During high school orientation, I knew my friends would help me become less overwhelmed, who will help calm me during a two day orientation at UVA? I then snap out of it and realize that when things get overwhelming, I’ve learned to rely on myself.
I’ve learned so much at WHS and not just in the classrooms. As I say goodbye to this place, I’m grateful for all the wonderful memories, the amazing friends, and my inspiring teachers. There could not have been a better place to call high school than the one I’ve spent my last four years in.
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