The first time I ever stepped foot in Wootton was when I came for a preparation for high school class the summer before my freshman year. I’ll never forget my first impressions of this school; I thought it was a scary building with odds and ends I felt I’d never figure out, almost soulless because nothing on the walls had any meaning to me. Now, as I walk these halls one last time, each one holds a memory I am clinging to for dear life.
In this prep class, I wrote a letter to my senior self, which I read a few days ago. While most of the stuff in the letter did not happen, there are a few things I am glad I stuck to.
The first is newspaper. It is one class that holds the most memories and is something I can never let go of, and it all happened in Room 242.
Before I even walked into Room 242, my sophomore year, I was met with the sweetest woman whom I’ve come to love more than anyone in the building, Mrs. Starr. She introduced herself and gave me my seat, and every day following, I met her outside the door, saying something as simple as a “good morning” or as complex as a whole story. She has spent the past three years shaping me into who I am today. From jokes to funny and occasionally sad stories, I always felt I could talk to her about anything. I am forever grateful that I had the chance to be in her class, and I hope many of you gain that same opportunity.
Not only has newspaper shaped me, but it has also given me the chance to meet new people. This class was outside of my comfort zone for one reason: I was shy. I hated talking to new people, but this class forced me to, and I’m glad I did. I’ve interviewed so many different people, all with different stories about their lives, a school issue, or even something as mundane as their summer plans. And while I haven’t gotten the chance to capture everyone’s story, I’m glad I got to share the handful I did.
The second thing I am glad I stuck to was myself. High school is an amazing experience, and despite the roller coaster it sent me on, I would never trade a moment of this experience for anything. There were a few times I doubted myself, and I more often than not stressed over the finite details rather than the bigger picture. I’m glad I told myself to be confident and to care about those around me, because my experiences were better because of it.
But there is one thing I am glad didn’t come true, and that was being the perfect student. I never got straight A’s, and if I had, I wouldn’t have had the chance to experience high school through the lens I did. The mistakes I’ve made and the tests I’ve failed made memories that will last far longer than the perfect scores I got. And even though I might send 14-year-old me into cardiac arrest with the quarter grades I’ve gotten, I am glad I lost the perfectionist and gained the person writing this article today.
Now, a moment I never thought would come is finally approaching, only a few weeks away; I am graduating. I’ve spent the past four years waiting for this moment, and now that it’s come, I’m sad I wished for its arrival. I cannot wait for the memories I will make in the fall, and I hope the next student who walks through the doors of this school, scared and anxious, feels the same way I do now in four years. That’s all for me,
Love always
Inayat
