As senior year comes to an abrupt close, myself and all other seniors find themselves at a pivotal crossroad in life. As we close one chapter in our life, we begin a new and arguably more important chapter. I can certainly say that while greater opportunities await us in the near future, I will someday look back upon on high school with memories of good times and good people.

I have so many memories at LHS that it’s hard to start listing them, but I’ll try anyway. Being on the cross country and track teams all four years certainly provided lots of memories. From the annual McQuaid Invitational trip to winning the SWC Championship my junior year to Ranger Relays to the every day runs with the guys, running has provided me with many memorable experiences. Additionally, performing with The Lakewood Project has given me memories that I will never forget. Shows in the Civic, as well as playing at Lakewood Park on the 4th of July in front of thousands of people, are definitely unforgettable experiences.

High school is a weird time in life; you have people who still look like they’re in middle school, and then you have people who could pass for 22 years old. It’s such a mix of people and although there are ups and downs, to be successful in high school, you have to embrace the weirdness. I have seen too many people complaining how weird high school is and how college is going to be so much better; that may be true, but don’t shy away from it. Immerse yourself with as many experiences as possible because the more experiences you undertake, the better equipped you are for life.

I will be attending Miami University (Go RedHawks!) in the fall and will be majoring in Political Science. While I am very excited to get started and move in a little more than 3 months from now, it will be a little bit bittersweet to leave Lakewood, my home for 18 years.