As I thought about what to write for my senior reflection, the first things that came to mind were cliches and timeworn maxims that often pass as wisdom imparted by a graduating senior to younger students. However, reflecting on my high school experience, I quickly realized that stale sayings do not do justice to, or accurately describe, my high school experience. With graduation quickly approaching and the start of college looming just over the horizon, I am awash with a conflicting mix of emotions that cannot be distilled into a single one word or represented by a string of cliches. My feelings of loss as a graduating senior are tempered by my excitement and anticipation to be a freshman at the University of North Carolina. 

The final few weeks of my high school career have been filled with goodbyes, like my graduation from the Humanities and Arts program. At the beginning of my high school career, I followed in the footsteps of my older sister and brother, and I joined H and A. While the program took years off my life, it provided me with lifelong friendships that I will always cherish. These friendships were based on our shared experiences and forged in the cauldron of research and on the pressure of oral presentations. During the Humanities and Arts graduation, I could not help but wonder how I would navigate the next four years without the support of my friends. Although the graduation was intended to be a celebration of our accomplishments, I could not help but wish I had one more year of Ms. Hanson telling us to watch her left eyebrow. 

Another goodbye I have had to make is to Common Sense, one of the best aspects of my high school experience. I joined sophomore year and have not looked back since. Although UNC will offer me incredible journalistic opportunities, I know the dynamic I am a part of at this publication will never be replicated. My time on Common Sense has allowed me to create relationships with people I otherwise would not have known while working under an incredible advisor, Evva Starr. So, as I look forward to the future of my journalism career in the Tar Heel State, I cannot help but mourn the loss of the life I have built on this paper. 

My departure from Wootton can only be described as bittersweet, a culmination of years of hardwork and dedication juxtaposed by the excitement over the unknown. 

Next year in Chapel Hill, my life will be filled with game days, the cultivation of new friends, and independence from the ever-watchful eyes of my parents. For the first time in my life, I will be on my own – 287.3 miles from home. While I prepare for this major transition, I hold on to the fact that this sadness is a testament to how great my high school experience was. As Winnie the Pooh said, “How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”