No reason to be afraid

by Isabelle Pan Colture Editor

I sit here writing this thinking about how there’s absolutely no way I can fit my last four years of life into one newspaper article.

To leave a place where I basically spent more time than my own home feels surreal (thank you, On Tour, for that one). For so long when I was a little kid, my main goal was to be grown up. Having an older sister who was able to do all the cool teenage things you wanted to do as a kid gave me such an urge to be on the same level she was.

I don’t think I realized that every time you are given opportunities to act like an adult, you can also have adult consequences. From taking college classes and learning you need a strong work ethic and not just a brain to pass them to leading a student-run club where all the responsibility of it being successful relies on you to simply getting your driver’s license and

knowing that you are now responsible for getting from point A to point B safely.

There’s so much more to being a senior than being at the top of the school or what I picture as walking around with my car keys in one hand and a Starbucks drink in the other.

I wish I could tell my freshman year self to just slow down, to take it all in, and to stop being your own worst enemy. Stop yearning for the end to come and take a minute to appreciate all the people you have and the opportunities around you.

I always wanted to write for the newspaper, but I never did until my junior year because I was so in my head about it. I was in my head about my writing, my opinions, and just being able to use my voice. It took me so long to get the courage to do it, and I feel like I missed out on an opportunity to find something I love to do so much earlier.

At the same time, I’m fully aware that as much as I am reminiscing and romanticizing about high school, I also had my toughest moments here. From a cut off freshman year, to losing friends, to failing tests, to losing class night (too soon?), to losing those coveted Harry Styles tickets that I probably would’ve gotten if it weren’t in the middle of APUSH. Quite simply, some moments just sucked.

In hindsight, those were the moments that turned me most into the so-called “grown up” I desired to be when I was younger. All those moments that made me excitedly count down the date to graduation also revealed to me the friendships I know will last even if we are a hundred miles apart and the resilience that has grown within me that I didn’t know was possible.

And I know that there will be more challenges and setbacks in my future, but now I have more confidence and hope that I will get through it.

I don’t want to say I’m such a wise owl, but here is some advice

I would give to those who aren’t graduating. If there’s that one thing you want to try, but you’re too nervous, just do it. There’s no reason not to. Calhoun has so many different opportunities, whether that be sports or clubs, it’d be a waste to start your school day at 7:30 a.m. and end it at 2:15 p.m. on the dot.

To the rising seniors, first off, start saving money; senior year is very expensive.

But more importantly, things are probably not going to go the way you envision, but that doesn’t mean you should just give up. If it’s not in your control, breathe in, breathe through, breath out, and move on. You’ll end up in a place that is perfect for you whether it’s a top choice or wasn’t even on your list.

It’s bittersweet to be ending such an important chapter in my life, but I’m ready to see what a new city has in store for me. Here’s to my last article in Hoofbeats, but I know for sure more articles will be written in the future.