As the last two weeks of the semester approach steadily, I find myself in disbelief still. For all the seniors taking dual credit, finals week wrapped up the last school work they had. So even as I sit here, having had no school already for a week, I still find it difficult to truly believe high school is almost over. No matter how many times I’ve heard it said, it really does seem like yesterday I was a little freshman.

I think the interesting thing about it is it feels like both yesterday and a lifetime ago. Someone not too long ago asked me what freshman year me would think of senior year me, and that question has sat with me a lot since then.

You enter high school as one person, and by the end, through life experiences and time, you become a different person. Whether for the better or for the worse is up to you. Letting yourself change is part of being in high school. It’s the time to figure out who you are and what you stand for.

There were some moments I never want to relive, and others I wish I could go back to in a second. These four years gave me an unbelievable opportunity, one that helped me grow in so many ways. The friendships and people I met will forever color how I look at the world. The little pieces and life lessons they teach you along the way become this beautiful patchwork quilt you carry with you.

I will forever be thankful for the high school experience. These past four years have formed who I am, for the better or for the worse. I am who I am today because of these moments. The end of high school is the first milestone at which you look back upon your life and see how far you’ve come. For me, I would say pretty dang far.