Dear Coral Glades, 

Thank you for all that you’ve taught me in the past four years. I have learned things about myself that I never would have if it were not for the experiences that you have provided me during my high school years. From meeting new people who eventually became my closest friends to joining clubs that I never thought I’d join, high school has been a rollercoaster that I’m so glad I was fortunate enough to be on. 

My time in high school was much like anyone else’s. Plenty of good, and plenty of bad. However, the bad was focused on my freshman and sophomore year. I went through horrifyingly toxic relationships, unfocused semesters, and struggles with mental health. Nonetheless, being at Coral Glades allowed me to meet people who supported me unconditionally and became some of the most important people in my life. Teachers who show that they truly care about their students are the ones that are the most memorable. Teachers like Mr. Rowe, Mr. O’Neill, Ms. Blaise, and Mrs. Schoen are the ones that I will always hold close to my heart and remember for a long, long time. These teachers helped me understand not only their curriculum but also life lessons that I can apply to everyday situations in my life. I can confidently say that Philosophy was, by far, the most memorable class I took at Coral Glades, and believe that it was a class in which time was well spent. 

To say that joining clubs made my high school experience ten times better would be an understatement. Joining clubs and sports made me enjoy being at school and gave me something to look forward to when I was having a bad day. As a captain of the lacrosse team, I was able to learn more leadership skills and found a healthy outlet for my compassionate qualities… my teammates. They quickly became my family and I don’t know where I’d be now if I hadn’t joined the lacrosse team in my junior year. I deeply regret not joining sooner as I quickly grew attached to everyone on the team and wish I’d met them sooner. It was the most bittersweet for me to know that this was my last year to be able to play with them as a team, but I know that it’s what’s best for me since I am now moving onto a new, bigger, and better chapter in my life.

Newspaper (The Prowl) was also a club that I wish I had joined sooner. Although I joined late in my senior year (and truly only because my friend was in the class), I quickly became attached to the project introduced to me… The Prowl Podcast. We were able to build this podcast from the ground up and it was by far the most enjoyable project I took on this past year. From having fun filming with great people to spending two to three days editing what was once a fifteen-minute episode into a ten-minute episode. I’m so glad that I was able to partake in this project, as it encouraged me to look for many more endeavors similar to The Prowl Podcast in my next years at Nova Southeastern University.

I would advise all incoming freshmen to take this first year as seriously as they can. Your first year in high school builds your foundation for all other years, and I deeply regret not taking it as seriously as I should’ve. Look into clubs and sports that you’re interested in.. or even ones that you don’t know anything about! Throwing yourself into something new can be nerve-wracking, but it can also be thrilling and even if you end up disliking it, high school is the perfect time to try new things! 

For incoming seniors, enjoy your time! You don’t have much of it. Senior year will go by fast, so try to participate in all the senior activities so that you can make amazing memories with your friends! A warning: friendships will fall apart. It’s a “canon event” if you will. Sometimes it’ll be one person, maybe it’ll be a couple. Regardless, make as many friendships as you can because you never know who is meant to stay in your life. Sometimes you can find the best friend in someone completely unexpected. Embrace it and enjoy it, but still take this last year seriously. It’s the worst time to joke around since you have so much to lose. Find friendships with people who will keep you in check so that you don’t sacrifice some of the best times you’ll have in high school.

Again, thank you Coral Glades, for giving me the opportunities to make the memories I have and I will take with me the lessons I’ve learned as I go on to bigger and better things.

Sincerely,

Meilia Hartley

A high school senior, ready to graduate.