Dear High School,

These past four years have been a blur of events. I’ve made so many memories and friends, it’s strange to
think that it’s all finally coming to an end. High school has been a rollercoaster of emotions. I’ve spent
countless nights studying and stressing over tests, and even more nights on calls laughing with friends. I
met a lot of friends through clubs and classes that have changed me as a person for the better. Leaving
high school is bittersweet.

It’s exciting to think about my future and the new chapter of my life I am going to start, but it’s also sad to think about how this is the end of being a kid. There’s lots of people who will continue to be in my life after graduation, but there’s also a few that will be left behind. Either way, it’s a huge moment for all seniors.

I have learned a lot throughout my high school career. Just like everyone else, I was once a very confused
freshman that had to learn how to find my place in such a new environment. High school definitely has its pros and cons.

On one hand, high school can be a great place to meet people and explore your identity. With so many students from all sorts of backgrounds in one place, you’re bound to learn about beliefs and discover
different styles you’ve never heard of before.

Everyone is going through changes, and everyone looks like a whole other person when they return from summer vacation each year. This gives you the liberty to do some self-exploration and reflection. The mindset of a freshman vs. a senior has differs a lot, and you grow into your adult-self throughout high school.

I definitely changed a lot since freshman year, and for the better. I used to be extremely introverted and
kept to myself, but I’ve grown to become more social and open-minded after joining newspaper. Clubs
are a great way to discover what your passions are. I’ve been in newspaper since sophomore year (so
three years total) and it has been my favorite part of high school.

I’ve met my best friends through this club and gone on unforgettable trips (even to Boston!), all while improving my leadership and writing skills. A lot of my friends have had similar experiences with their own clubs. Coral Glades offers a lot of clubs for all sorts of people, ranging from fun video game clubs to internationally recognized career-based clubs. It’s great!

On the other hand, all these new personalities and friends you make can lead to a loss of identity. You
may think you want to follow these new trends and people, when in reality you’re straying from who you
actually are. Peer pressure isn’t like how it’s displayed in shows and movies. It can be you subconsciously
feeling inclined to dress and act and think like your friends because you want to feel like you belong. It
can lead to you falling into the wrong crowd and making bad decisions.

My best advice for freshmen is to know it’s okay to branch out and explore, but you should always
remember who you truly are. It’s fine to look like everyone else, and it’s also fine to stand out. You will
go through such a drastic change within these next four years- don’t reject the change, but also don’t try to be someone you’re not. That will just cause you to make friends you aren’t compatible with and you’ll get yourself into unnecessary situations.

High school, of course, will also be stressful in an academic sense. I think that’s where most people mess up. They have this mindset that school only matters junior and senior year, but they couldn’t be more wrong. I strongly encourage you to join clubs starting your freshman year. Not only do clubs have tons of benefits, but it also makes you develop a good drive to do as much as you can in school. You’re more likely to earn officer positions if you’ve been in a club for a year already, and that’s something you need for college. Prioritize your schoolwork, and work on bringing up your GPA from freshman year. You’ll regret it when you’re a junior in tons of AP classes, trying to get straight A’s to boost your GPA, while scouting for officer positions, worrying about your SAT score (which you will definitely have to retake at least twice), but your friends are also starting to drive so you want to go out, but you can’t take another zero from missing homework, which you will have to stay up late to do anyway because you just started working and you have to close.

Don’t wait until the last two years, start from the beginning. High School was an unforgettable experience, with lots of ups and downs. The impact it’s had on me helped me become the person I am today and who I will be in the future. But it’s time to move on, and I wish the best of luck to all the incoming freshmen and seniors!

Sincerely,
Sophia Herrera,
2024 Co-Editor in Chief