In light of the culmination of my high school career being just around the corner, one may say that I am feeling quite emotional. After all, it is the end of the same routine that I have been mindlessly following for the past 12 years of my life.
The realization that this is all coming to an end so abruptly has hit me quite suddenly, and predictably, I am in the process of trying to learn how to “adult” as quickly as I can. I am trying to mitigate the intimidating world of financial independence, survival and self sufficiency, all while finding my sole and true purpose in this unpredictable and complicated life. Simple stuff, really. However, as daunting as this next chapter of my life seems, I am constantly being reminded both by my parents and the motivational posters in my classrooms that ‘I am not in this alone’. So I guess this article is an homage to that, something to remind me that while I may feel as though I am about to enter into battle completely unequipped and unprepared, there is an entire army of ill-equipped soldiers right behind me.
As I wander mindlessly through Strub everyday, or watch the clouds pass by during my classes, I am continuously affronted with the fact that there are 3 months until graduation. It seems as though it was just yesterday that I stuck my first pin on my Mayfield blazer, or put on my Cub jersey for my first tennis match. The days, weeks and months have escaped me and no matter how much I try to grasp onto them, they ceaselessly slip. Time isn’t stopping, and May inches closer every day. Yes, it may seem that I am nervous – and that is true – yet I am not afraid. My time at Mayfield has undoubtedly prepared me for whatever the world will throw at my path. And as I look onto the faces of my fellow Mayfield cubs, I feel a wave of peace wash over me, knowing that (and I know this is corny) we truly are in this together. I know that any anxiety I have towards the future are shared with my classmates, and somehow that eases my stress. Maybe this article is just for me, an e-diary if you will. Maybe my fellow seniors will read it and find solace in it. Either way, I hope this transparency will make college less of a taboo, or simply be a testament to the class of 2026’s ability to succeed through the unpredictable world of adulting.
