For as long as I can remember, I have spent my life preparing to graduate high school. I’ve always viewed high school as a nuisance required to finally be in the “real world”, and spent more time thinking about what I will be doing in the future than what I am doing right now. But as my time in high school comes to an end, I find myself wishing that I had taken the time to appreciate the nuances of high school.
The halls of Upper Arlington High School are never ones I fully anticipated being sad about leaving– not particularly because of Upper Arlington as a community, but because I always assumed that by the time my time came to graduate, I would have no reason to want to stay behind. But, of course, that isn’t true.
These halls are filled with memories that will forever remain with me: the classrooms where I met my best friends, the huddle room that we ate lunch in, the Arlingtonian newsroom. It’s hard to imagine leaving the building where I became the very person that I am today, and there’s so much of me that wishes I had taken more time to honor that.
The friends that I made during my time at UAHS are people that I can’t imagine living my life without. Thank you, to all of you for loving me at my lowest and for supporting me at my highest. But thank you most of all for making me a person that I am proud to be. When I think of Upper Arlington High School, I think of the family that I have created for myself within these walls, and the friendships that I will carry with me beyond them.
I urge all of you, graduating or not, to take the time to savor your time in high school. For better or worse, we will never be in high school again. Take from it what you will, but, if nothing else, remember that room W1307’s doors are always open for anybody interested. Thank you for allowing Arlingtonian another successful year of independent student journalism, and we’ll see you May 20 for our last issue!
