The future holds so many questions, and not knowing the answers is ok. Entering high school set me on a track that had people constantly asking me what I wanted to do upon graduation. “Where will you go?” I have no idea, I’m still only 14. “What do you want to be?” I still can’t truly answer that question. The questions and pressure from teachers, friends, family, it was all never-ending. But here we are, one month left, one month until graduation, one month until the next chapter of my life. I’m almost at the end of a road I thought went on forever.

In truth, this road was meant to end. High school doesn’t last forever, and that’s ok. The memories that I’ve gathered in these last four years are what make up the heart of my high school experience. The friendships I’ve made and cherished will forever be with me, and even though we are now moving apart and living different lives, I know that high school will always connect us.

High school isn’t just a building. It’s a place of growth, a place of companionship, a place to find yourself. High school taught me so many things that I never would have known about myself if I didn’t go out there and try. Over the course of four years, I’ve learned how to use Google Meet without any issues. I’ve learned how to use the back end of a website to upload articles and change the website display. I’ve learned how to build sets and handle power tools of all kinds. While I gained all these new skills, they didn’t come without failure along the way. The biggest thing I’ve learned is that it is ok to fail. Failure is the first step to success.

Now here I am. New skills, more knowledge, and being sent off to learn more in a place where I can truly grow to be what I want to be. I can finally answer the question we all get asked as little kids. I can finally tell people what I want to be when I grow up.