Senior year, to say the least, has been surprising and full of the unexpected. It has brought me so many emotions and memories I will never forget. What I would like to do for my last story for The Spud is highlight some of my favorite memories from each year in High School. 

My freshman year is a bit blurry, but I remember it being really fun. I got to experience High School for the first time. My favorite memory was my first Homecoming parade. Seeing my class on a float for the first time after years of just watching on the side was amazing. I loved knowing that I was finally a part of something I had waited for so long. Sitting in the Dawg Pound for the first time was thrilling. My freshman year I found the people that I would have lifelong friendships with, and I found friends that I knew I could count on. I also experienced State Cheerleading. State Cheer was difficult, and preparing for it was tasking, but the feeling I got performing was incredible and something I will never forget. 

My sophomore year I felt more experienced, for sure. I was introduced to harder classes. My favorite memories were in my English and Journalism classes. Journalism brought me to Lincoln for the first time, and that is something I am forever grateful for. Journalism also made me a better writer, which I am very thankful for because of the thousands of papers I now write for my College Dual Credit English class. My sophomore English class was hard, to say the least, but it was full of my favorite people. I had plenty of laughs in that class and can remember clearly a lot of fun moments despite the intense work atmosphere. My sophomore year also brought me a huge cheer season. I remember having some of the best dances, and I was super proud after each performance that year. 

My Junior year was stressful, but rewarding. There were times I felt like giving up, and the classes were filled with work and choosing how to carefully manage Cheer, The ACT, and my Honors classes was absolutely hard, but I did it. My fondest memories are my English class with Ms. Smith. Ms. Smith’s teaching always taught me something more about my life. She helped me understand things that I wouldn’t be able to understand myself. That year, I also found someone that I am forever grateful for. I learned what love was. I remember Prom being the best experience of the whole year, and it felt like it would never end, but now I wish it had not ended so fast. 

My Senior year, well, there is so much I could say about this year. The beginning of the year was surreal. I absolutely loved it. I became co-captain for my fourth and final cheerleading season, which was a huge accomplishment. Homecoming was the best Homecoming in all four years. I got nominated for Homecoming royalty, I participated in Mini-Olympics for the first time and the Lip-sync for the third time. I got into the classes that I wanted. I got to do Art the whole year independently, which I very much enjoyed. My classes were hard and full of work. The games were especially fun due to appreciating each second of it. I got to experience the best last game I had ever cheered for, which was the final district game. That game was so intense and gave me so many chills throughout it. I’m so thankful that that atmosphere was the atmosphere I got to spend my last home game in. 

With all the good, there’s also the bad. I experienced heartbreak for the first time and learned more about myself through it. Through that heartbreak, just a week later,  I also got the devastating news that March 13th was my last day of school without even realizing it. I wish I could experience everything for senior year that I was meant to, but unfortunately I can’t. I can’t experience my senior year NHS induction, my senior prom, my senior breakfast, Honors Convocation and much more. I’m grateful for the people I met my senior year; however, I made friends that I never thought I would. I’d like to thank AHS one final time for the memories it has given me. I truly believe that these four years are something I will never forget. So, thank you AHS The Spud, for giving me the privilege of writing for you for the last three years.