They aren’t kidding when they say it goes by fast. Four years ago when I first stepped into high school I thought that it would be a long, hard four years. Everyone said that it goes by in a blink of an eye, but you don’t really believe it until it happens and you only have three days left of school.
Freshman year, if I can remember so long ago, it was prime time for COVID. We started the year with masks, social distancing, and desk dividers. We didn’t know how long we would be in school and would just as much prefer to do online school considering the COVID life wasn’t a fun life to be living at school. Mid year rolls around, and we haven’t had Homecoming or Jag Day, and we haven’t played any sports. It’s soon decided that sports that were supposed to take place in the fall will now happen in spring. This is good news except for all the athletes who now have two sports at once. I was one of those athletes. I had both softball and cheer taking place. I decided after a few open gyms at softball I wasn’t going to play and just do cheer. I enjoyed cheer and could have dedicated all my time towards it, but then the softball coach contacted me asking me mid season to come back to play softball. I said I would, and that’s what I did. That year we won Regionals in softball and that is one of my best memories in softball. I am glad I went back to playing softball because I probably would not be playing right now if I wouldn’t have gone back my freshman year. I would say that freshman year was a boring year considering COVID.
Sophomore year… boy, did we have fun sophomore year. After being shut up freshman year, we were let loose to have a fun sophomore year. Although we started the year wearing masks, no one took it as seriously as freshman year. We were no longer freshman and felt more comfortable being in the high school. We were able to have a normal homecoming and Jag Day. We also had a normal football and cheer season. When spring came around I played softball and got to attend prom as a sophomore as a server. A lot of my friends were juniors that year and found a way to get me into prom. Charlie, Aubree, Kiara, and I hung out every chance we got sophomore year. There was some girl drama that we now know was silly high school drama that none of us care about now. Sophomore year was one of my most fun years in high school, yet one of the hardest years.
Junior year was only a year ago, yet all I really remember is that I spent all my free time with Alivia, Kiara, Alysa, Shara, Briley, Lily, and Daylen. I had also started dating Brason the summer before junior year. We were finally upperclassman and half way through high school. This is when I really realized how quickly it was actually going to go by. Junior year homecoming was outside on Main Street and was one of the most fun dances I have experienced in high school. I was a cheerleader for football and played softball in the spring. This was our year to plan prom and we knew we had wanted the theme to be a masquerade and our visions came to life. That year we took a party bus to prom. As junior year came to an end, my best friends were seniors and were going to be graduating. This was really hard for me considering they wouldn’t be at the school next year. I was a marshall at graduation. After that, it was real. We were seniors.
Senior year. What was all the hype for? We were about to find out. It was our last first for everything that came our way. All the pictures and all the “I can’t believe you are seniors.” I personally didn’t feel like it was really my last year in high school only because I wasn’t prepared to go to college. I didn’t know where I wanted to go or what I wanted to do. I was elected student senate president, and it was my senior year of cheer, a sport that I have done and loved since elementary school that I would soon leave behind. Homecoming rolled around and seniors won Jag Day. I was nominated for Homecoming court and Aidyn and I won Homecoming king and queen. This was special to me, considering Aidyn and I have always been friends and we were chosen by our classmates. Before we knew it, it was Christmas break and our senior year was half way over. By this time I had decided I wanted to go into nursing and was really leaning towards going to Indiana State University. Over winter break, 2024 rolled around. It was our graduation year, a year we always thought we had wanted to come so much faster than it already had. Softball was starting with open gyms shortly after winter break. With a long season ahead of softball, I wasn’t sure I wanted to play. Our schedule would be packed full and I was busy with senior year things. I decided I have played three years, so I might as well play another year, plus I would get to see Lily and Izzy every day. Before we knew it we were making prom plans, and planning senior night, awards, and graduation parties. We decided to take a party bus again to prom. Prom is our last big event before we graduate into the real world. We graduate in a short couple weeks and then we will all take the next big step into our lives. I thank this small school for teaching me everything I will need to know to get through life in this crazy world. My next step is Indiana State University Nursing!
