I have always expressed my love for school growing up. I fell in love with the community aspect of seeing my friends every day, meeting new people, dedicating my days to being a social butterfly. I also felt that school came easy to me. I never struggled with grades, I was the “straight As” child of my siblings, and I wore that title proudly. School can prepare you for learning new skills, getting ready for the next grade, and succeeding on tests. It can’t, however, prepare you for life’s curveballs.

I can confidently say that senior year at ADM High School was the best and most difficult year of my life. I came into August stoked to start my last chapter at ADM, especially to make my mark in my favorite class, News Journalism. However, life had other plans. I was given the challenge of adjusting to my new life without my family after they moved to Florida midway through the school year. While I was so excited for them and their new experiences, I was preparing to struggle a bit for the second half of senior year.

I was definitely correct. While already battling senioritis and burnout, living across the country from my family was the cherry on top. Even though I felt behind in every class, the staff and students at ADM helped me every step of the way.

I found a new appreciation for ADM after hearing how different the school systems were in Florida, and I made sure to enjoy every second I could. the endless patience and generosity from the teachers will never fail to amaze me, how they dedicate their lives to our success. How they will go out of their way to give extra guidance before and after school, spending even more hours teaching than what they are already expected.

Apart from the teachers, the friends and relationships I have made specifically from News Journalism made every struggle and headache worthwhile.

First off, Kate Weieneth. Kate and I have been friends since 4th grade. I’m not sure if she knows this or if I ever told her, but she is who I always considered to be my first friend at ADM. On my first day moving to a new school, she was the very first person to sit next to me and have a conversation. While we have dipped in and out of friend groups since, we have always stayed personally close. She is my biggest hype girl, always down to listen to my rants with no questions asked, and without a doubt one of my favorite people to have late night catch-up convos with. While she might have some “blonde moments,” she can always make me smile and know exactly what to say. And even though she might not support my dumb decisions, she loves to hear the aftermath and have a good laugh together. I am endlessly relieved to have her in my life and  I am beyond grateful that this class made our friendship even stronger than before. Our first year taking Journalism, we decided to create a podcast and ran with the spontaneous idea. Our podcast, “Let’s Talk” has struck up so much laughter and memories that I will cherish forever. She is also the brilliant editor of the podcast, who I am so thankful took on that task without any problems or complaints. Our second year, we were gifted with a new member to join, the funniest person I know, Celie Gardiner.

I have always known Celie to be the “class clown” and a friend to anyone and everyone. We weren’t very close or knew each other personally until this year. Kate and I asked if she would like to join “Let’s Talk,”  where she agreed without blinking twice. She has created such an impact on the podcast and brought her effortless humor to every video. She is still to this day the funniest person I’ve met. She could say nothing and just look at me a certain way, and I would burst out laughing. And I have. I am so grateful she entered News Journalism and that I was given a new friendship that I will miss so much when we graduate. Celie has taught me to look on the bright side of any situation and that nothing bad will last forever. She has definitely helped me get through very stressful moments of senior year, even if she never realized it. Also, if anyone has ever asked me for my celebrity look alike, Celie swears by her answer of Leila from “Teen Beach Movie” and always finds an opportunity to remind me.

I guess my point is that life will always make things hard. It’s not meant to be easy. But if you can find the good moments through it and keep your head up, you’ll make it. Lean on those around you and never forget to thank them. I’ll always be thanking ADM for my unforgettable high school experience and introducing me to people I’ll remember forever.