To think that I will be walking that stage to graduate in six months is amazing. It’s almost a surreal feeling. Being a senior, and while that may be exciting, it’s a bittersweet occasion. Seniorisits starts to hit a little harder knowing that high school is coming to an end. Everyone talks about the excitement of starting their post-high school journey, but to be quite honest I don’t want to leave high school yet.
The first step to realizing you’re growing up is when you send in your first college application; after that it begins to feel real. Then you send in the next one, and then the next… and then in the blink of an eye you’re hearing back from colleges, hoping to see confetti and read the fateful words, “we would like to congratulate you on your acceptance at…” Then comes decision day. Out of all of those acceptances, you’ll have to decide where home will be for the next four plus years.
For a senior athlete, it’s even more sad, coming to the harsh realization that this is your last season with your team. You celebrate your last wins with your teammates that you have called “family” for the last four years. Once senior night rolls around and it’s crazy, it’s real, you’re grown up and now everybody knows it. Then comes that last match, game, practice or meet with that team and all you can do is feel both happy and sad. Happy to finish the season, but sad because you just finished that chapter of your life.
Once second semester starts, that feeling of one more semester of high school to go kicks in. Now, the finish line is in sight. What if I don’t want to cross that finish line yet? That finish line means I have to move forward and become an adult. I can’t call myself a highschooler anymore. The senior events are happening, ordering our cap and gown, taking graduation photos and recording our name to be called at the ceremony. All the things that lead up to graduation hit you very fast, and next thing you know it’s the big day. Graduation, feeling moments away from being done. When that diploma hits my hands, I’m done. I have to be a big girl now.
I am in no way looking forward to the final summer before my friends and I diverge and go our own ways to school. I am not looking forward to working a full time job. I am not looking forward to no longer seeing the teachers that have gotten me through 12 hard years. I am not looking forward to walking out of West Forsyth for the very last time.
As happy as I am to be a senior, it comes with the harsh reality that I unfortunately have to grow up. That is so scary and such a big step, but I think when the time comes everyone will be ready to move on and walk that stage, knowing whether or not we are ready we are so very prepared for the next chapter of our lives, we will walk the stage with pride and leave good ol’ West behind as just a memory.
