May '21

The Senior Issue

Spotlights, destinations, shout-outs, wills and more from the class of 2021.

Vol. XXX Issue 2

May 2021

Dear COVID, The Hook staff tells the pandemic what they experienced - and learned from 2020-21.

thepirateshook.com

IN THIS ISSUE

3 10

Senior Columns Hook seniors describe their four years at Riverside, coping with COVID, lessons learned and plans for the future

12 21

Destinations The class of 2021's college, career and military plans

Spotlights Farmers, athletes, scientists, artists, activists, business owners, and early graduates share their stories

In their own words Senior wills, quotes, and shout-outs

24

Superlatives Most likely to...

The Pirates' Hook

Editors: Kaitlyn Busch, Fabian Hernandez, Ben Patton

3218 Rose of Sharon Rd Staff: Jakyies Evans, Eva Flowe, Ethan Haine, Jacob Hindman, Tyler McLean, Ben Meglin, Janel Perry, Jalen Poole, Thomas Romano, Alexa Silvan-Garcia, Genesis Smith-Lopez, Durham, NC 27712 Angel Solorzano Arias, Cristela Vargas Delgado, Ella Whithaus, Elizabeth Williams Editorials, unless signed, are the consensus opinion of the editorial staff and do not necessarily reflect the views of the adviser or the school administration. The newspaper welcomes letters to the editor. The newspaper reserves the right to edit letters for space and clarity. All letters must be signed. However, the newspaper will withhold names with good reason. Advertisements in the newspaper are paid advertisements and are not the opinion or endorsement of the newspaper or school administration. You may not reproduce, download, republish or redistribute Content or any portions thereof, including, without limitation, Content provided by licensors and others, including member-submitted content, without the written consent of the The Pirates' Hook.

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Jane McNeal

COLUMNS

Use your words Dear COVID,

When I think about writing a letter to an invisible airborne virus, I roll my eyes and wonder why I got on board with this idea. I hate COVID. It stole everything from everyone. I’m mad at a virus. That feels almost as bad as writing a letter to one.

If I were a toddler on the verge of a tantrum, which doesn’t feel too far off, this is where I would be told to “use my words.” I hate COVID, but I love words. My friends would tell you I talk too much about how my love language is words of affirmation. I am singlehandedly saving the postal service with all the letters I write. I fill Pinterest boards with aesthetically pleasing inspirational quotes.

The walls in my room are collaged with cute greeting cards, Bible verses, notes from friends, and sticky notes with messages I wrote to myself. So many words.

I’m not going to tell you my whole cliche shy middle-schooler origin story, but just take my word for it that I didn’t really know how to “use my words” for a long time. When COVID happened, though, I was a mess. I felt helpless while I watched all the bad stuff happening outside the confines of my bedroom. I just wanted to be able to fix it. I didn’t know what else to do, so I started looking for stories. I’d been in journalism class for two years at this point, and it was the one thing that seemed to keep going when everything else shut down. I called people I thought might have something interesting to say and just started talking to them.

I threw myself into every journalism opportunity I found. I wrote and recorded and found ways to share these words, in whatever form they landed.

I don’t know how many people read or listened to my words in the various places they ended up. Nothing about my journalism changed the world. I do know, though, that I gained a sense of purpose as I turned empty time and an overwhelming desire to just “fix it” into words. My weird fascination became something that felt like action when everything else felt stagnant. As I mixed my words with other people’s, I was telling stories that inspired me and sharing what I believed in.

So I’ll never thank COVID, because like I said, I’m mad. I’m grateful, however, to have learned to use my words - to leverage my power.

That’s a lesson that applies beyond high school, beyond journalism, and way beyond COVID (good riddance).

Sincerely,

Kaitlyn Busch

My weird fascination became something that felt like action when everything else felt stagnant. As I mixed my words with other people’s, I was telling stories that inspired me and sharing what I believed in.

COLUMNS

Learn from my mistakes Dear COVID,

I know that I am supposed to give a life lesson and say that I have figured it all out. But the truth is, I have not necessarily figured out what I should do, only what I should not. I started high school as a repressed, closeted nerd who had panic attacks when she got below an A. I am finishing it as a more authentic, joyful version of myself, but a burnt out straight C student who struggles not to be bitter that she lost years of her life to the most toxic parts of academia. With that in mind, here’s some advice to consider as you grow and mature: is a short letter to the proud, struggling child I used to be.

Do not stay involved in what you do not love. If it isn't for you, there is no shame in quitting.

Do not attach your self worth, or anyone else's, to numbers. If the thing you are proudest of is your ACT score you are living your life wrong. Don't waste your four years being the sort of person who wanders around asking other people their class rank. You deserve better. So do your friends.

Do not always be the leader. You do not need to be in charge, and in my case at least, assuming so will cause you anxiety.

Do not be scared to call out your teachers. Your white English teacher should not be saying racial slurs. Your male STEM teacher should not try to tell his students there is no gender wage gap in engineering. Your earth science teacher should probably believe in climate change.

Do not assume you are an inconvenience for needing help. Not from friends, not from teachers, not from the librarian. Go to therapy if you can.

Do not pride yourself on running yourself into the ground. Three hours of sleep, one meal and four coffees, that stuff does not show that you take yourself seriously. It shows that you do not love yourself, you only love your accomplishments.

Do not assume you are alone. People can relate. You absolutely are like other girls, and that is wonderful.

Do not assume you know yourself. In a lot of ways, you are just now meeting yourself, and you are going to change. It is okay to shift labels, and hobbies, and whatever else. You are not set in stone.

Do not be so intense that when your psych teacher goes over the traits of a type A personality people stare at you. Yikes.

Do not want to be on top more than you want to even the playing field. Class rank does not matter. Setting the test curve does not matter. There is always someone better, and that does not matter.

Sincerely,

Eva Flowe

Do not assume you are alone. People can relate.

You absolutely are like other girls, and that is wonderful.

COLUMNS

Don't wait Dear COVID,

You took away a lot of great high school experiences. But even before you showed up I wasn't taking advantage of them anyway.

I blame myself for this. To be fair, I entered Riverside as a sophomore after leaving Mexico, so the first year I said that I was adapting, but that was false because I was only shy.

Sports are what I most regret not doing in high school. I had a passion for sports, I loved playing most sports, especially soccer, swimming and tennis. The main reason why I didn't try out was the thought of failure. I would ask myself, “What if I'm not as good as them?” “What if I don't make it to the team?” Instead of trying my best not to make them true, I decided not to tryout.

I avoided clubs, too, those extracurricular activities designed to help students socialize and find people with your common interests. At first I didn't see the point of them. I didn't even bother to read the list of clubs that were available. Entering my senior year I saw many with my favorite topics or some that I wanted to learn more about, like investment and video games.

As senior year started I also got my first job, mostly because of pandemic. After working for months now I regret not doing it earlier. I was blaming school for why I didn't work. I would say that I don't have time because I have to study and do homework, but really I just didn't want to acknowledge that I was lazy. I regret not exploring more job opportunities in other places and finding ways to make more money.

Something I would recommend people entering high school is try to find a class you never thought about entering. I always chose classes I was comfortable in, like Spanish and gym. In my last year of high school I decided to join journalism. I never thought I was going to help create school newspaper, but I'm glad I did because it turned out to be one of my favorite classes I've ever taken. I hope people entering high school try to find a class they never thought about taking.

Thanks to you, COVID, this unusual school year made me realize that I didn't take full advantage of high school. I missed out on many opportunities, I didn't go to many school events, such as game days or dance/theater shows. I would always say, “No worries I’ll go next year,” until you came along. I hope students have fun, go to that football game, watch the school chorus, go to homecoming and prom. If there’s one thing the pandemic taught us, it’s that there isn’t always a next time.

Sincerely,

Angel Solorzano

Arias

No esperen Querido COVID

Tu me quitaste muchas experiencias de la preparatoria. Pero de todos modos antes de que llegaras no las estaba aprovechando.

Yo solo me culpo por esto. Para ser justo entre a Riverside como un sophomore después de llegar de México, entonces decía que el primer año lo iba a usar para adaptarme, lo cual era falso porque solamente era penoso.

Deportes es algo en que más me arrepiento de no hacer en la preparatoria. Tenía una pasión por los deportes, me encantaba jugar la mayoría de deportes, especialmente fútbol, natación y tenis. La mayor razón por la cual no intente entrar fue el pensamiento de fracaso. Me preguntaba, “Qué pasa si no soy igual de buenos que los demás?” ”Que pasa si no entro al equipo?” En vez de intentar dar lo mejor de mi para no hacerlo realidad, decidí no entrar.

Evitaba clubs también, esas actividades extracurriculares diseñadas para ayudar a estudiantes a socializar y encontrar personas con intereses comunes. Al principio no veía el punto para ellos, ni siquiera me moleste en leer la lista de los clubs que había disponibles. Entrando a mi último año vi muchos con mis temas favoritos o algunos que quería aprender más sobre ellos como club de inversión y videojuegos.

Empezando mi último año conseguí mi primer trabajo, principalmente por la pandemia. Después de estar trabajando por meses me arrepiento de no haberlo hecho antes, culpaba a la escuela por la razón que no trabajaba diría que no tengo tiempo porque tenía que estudiar y hacer tarea pero en realidad no quería reconocer que era flojo. Me arrepiento de no haber explorado más oportunidades de trabajo en otros lugares y haber buscado más maneras de hacer dinero.

Algo que recomendaría a personas entrando a la preparatoria es buscar una clase que nunca tenías idea de entrar. Yo siempre elegía clases en que me sentía cómodo, como español y educación física, En mi último año de la preparatoria decidí entrar a periodismo. Yo nunca pensé que iba a ayudar hacer el periodico escolar, pero estoy contento de que lo hice porque esta clase terminó siendo una de las mejores que he tenido. Yo espero que personas entrando a la preparatoria busquen una clase que nunca pensaron tomar.

Gracias a ti COVID, este inusual año escolar me hizo dar cuenta que no aproveche al máximo mi tiempo en la preparatoria. Perdí muchas oportunidades, no fui a muchos eventos escolares como partidos deportivos u obras de teatro y bailes. Yo siempre diría, “No hay problema, voy el siguiente año,” hasta que tu viniste. Yo espero que estudiantes se diviertan, vayan a ese partido de fútbol, vean el coro escolar, vayan a la fiesta de bienvenida y a prom. Si hay algo que la pandemia nos enseñó es que no siempre hay una próxima vez.

Atentamente,

Angel Solorzano

Arias

COLUMNS

We won

Ganamos

Dear COVID,

Why, why did you have to come and ruin everything?

Because of you I was sent home in the middle of my junior year. I spent eight months in physical therapy after tearing my ACL my sophomore year so I could play soccer again, but you canceled our season. I was also supposed to go to Disney with the program AFJORTC because we had finally raised enough money for our end-of-the-year trip, but you canceled that as well. Because of you a lot of businesses were forced to close down. Everyone had to wear a mask, and stay 6-feet apart. People were stocking up on toilet paper and cleaning supplies so much that they were out of stock in many stores. I couldn’t go back to work because my boss was limiting the amount of staff that could clock in, and I couldn’t get another job because the places near me weren’t hiring, because of you we were all forced to make appointments to almost everything.

Because of you we were all quarantined. We couldn’t leave our homes, because of you everyone was scared, especially me. I remember being home at my house with my sisters and my parents were worried

because their jobs required them to be around other people. I would get worried that they might catch you and get us sick.

Because of you washing my hands and putting on hand sanitizer became my first priority before starting my day. I was scared to shake anybody’s hand.

Because of you I got so used to seeing my friends and talking through screens that now, when meeting or talking to people in real life, I get socially awkward.

Because of you I wasn’t given a normal senior experience. I was forced to continue school remotely and see my friends through screens. You cancelled prom not once, but twice.

Because of you, many members of my family were sick. Many people have died. All over the news it was you, spreading from one state to the other and country to country, putting us in a global pandemic.

Oh COVID, you don’t know how mad and frustrated I am at you. But at the same time I want to thank you. Because even though you came at the worst time, took many lives and made many people sick, both physically and mentally, the world stopped spinning for a few months, things started to improve.

Businesses started to open back up little by little, but with a new policy. I was able to get closer with my friends and family even though we were talking through screens. I was able to stop procrastinating on movies and TV shows to watch since I had a lot of free time. I decorated my entire room.

I went back to the gym and shed some of the quarantine weight that I gained. I got a new job and a raise! I started to write a lot about my feelings and figure them out. I explored different genres of music and shows. I got to spend more time with my family, go on walks and be a little more active.

I was even able to think about what I wanted to do with my life after high school and what college to go to. I made a list of schools to apply to based on the field I wanted to go into. After a minor crisis and second thoughts about that career field, eventually I was able to talk it out with my parents and other relatives and finally make a decision. I applied to many schools and was rejected at some, waitlisted at others and accepted by 15. it was hard for me to think about where I wanted to go because I wanted to stay in a state, close to my parents, but I also wanted to be independent. After a lot of thought I made a decision,

and I’m happy to say that I will be attending UNC Asheville in the fall.

Covid, if I could go back to my freshman self, I’d probably give her a heads up. Everything won’t go back to normal and we certainly won’t forget about this, but at least we can say we beat you.

Sincerely,

Querido COVID,

¿Porqué, por qué tuviste que venir y arruinarlo todo? Gracias a ti me mandaron a mi casa durante el segundo semestre de mi tercer año de la Preparatoria. Pasé ocho meses en terapia física para recuperarme después de romperme el ligamento cruzado de mi rodilla en mi segundo año de la Preparatoria, todo esto fue para volver a jugar al fútbol, pero cancelaste nuestra temporada. También se suponía que debía ir a Disney con el programa AFJROTC porque finalmente recaudado suficiente dinero para nuestro viaje de fin de año, pero tu también lo cancelaste.

Gracias a usted, muchas empresas tuvieron que cerrar. Todos tuvimos que usar máscara y estar separados 6-pies. La gente abastecía tanto de papel higiénico y de artículos de limpieza que se les acababa el stock. No pude volver a trabajar porque mi jefe estaba limitando cuánta gente podía entrar en el edificio y no podía conseguir otro trabajo porque los lugares cercanos no estaban contratando, por tu culpa era obligatorio llamar y hacer cita por casi

todo.

Por tu culpa, todos fuimos puestos en cuarentena. No podíamos salir y todos estaban asustados, especialmente yo. Recuerdo que mis hermanas y yo estábamos preocupadas porque el trabajo de nuestros padres, les obligaba a andar con otra gente. Me preocupaba que les ibas a enfermar y contagiarnos a nosotras.

Por tu culpa lavándome las manos y poniéndome desinfectante para manos fue mi primera prioridad antes de comenzar mi día.

Gracias a ti, me acostumbre tanto a ver a mis amigos y hablar a través de pantallas que ahora cuando conozco o hablo con personas en la vida real me vuelvo socialmente incómoda.

Gracias a ti no tuve una experiencia de último año de la Preparatoria normal. Tenía que continuar la escuela por la computadora y ver a mis amigos a través de las pantallas. No sólo cancelaste el baile de graduación una vez, sino dos veces.

Oh COVID, no sabes lo enojada y frustrada que estoy contigo. Pero al mismo tiempo quiero darte las Gracias. Porque al pensar que llegaste al peor momento, te llevaste tantas vidas inocente y enfermaste tanta gente no solo físicamente pero también mentalmente, el mundo dejó de dar vueltas por unos meses, las cosas empezaron a mejorar.

Las empresas empezaron a abrir de nuevo, pero con una nueva política. Pude acercarme más a mis amigos y familiares a pesar de que estábamos hablando a través de pantallas. Pude dejar de postergar las películas y programas de televisión porque tenía mucho tiempo libre. Redecore toda mi habitación.

Regrese al gimnasio y me deshice del peso de la cuarentena que había subido. ¡Conseguí un nuevo trabajo y un aumento de salario!

Empecé a escribir mucho sobre mis sentimientos para poder entenderlos. Explore diferentes géneros de música y programas.

Pude pasar más tiempo con mi familia, salir a caminar y ser más activa.

Incluso pude pensar en lo que quería hacer con mi vida después de terminar de la Preparatoria y que universidad iba a aplicar, después de tener una pequeña crisis y dudas sobre la carrera que quería estudiar, finalmente pude hablar con mis padres y otros parientes y tomar una decisión. Aplique a varias escuelas, algunas me rechazaron, otras me pusieron en la lista de espera, 15 colegios me aceptaron. Después de pensarlo por mucho tiempo tomé una decisión y estoy contenta de decir que este otoño voy a asistir a la universidad de Asheville.

COVID, si pudiera regresar el tiempo a mi primer año de la Preparatoria y hablar conmigo misma, me avisaria de tu presencia.

No todo va regresar a la normalidad y ciertamente no nos olvidaremos de esto pero al menos podemos decir que te ganamos.

Atentamente,

Cynthia

Martinez

Cynthia

Martinez

COLUMNS

I'm on my way

Dear COVID,

Covid took a lot away from me, but one thing it didn't take away was my passion for journalism.

When starting high school I would’ve never thought I was going to be interested in journalism. I always thought the news was dull. I wasn’t the type to read the newspaper or be interested in news.

I didn’t know what I was getting myself into when I signed up for journalism class. I didn’t know I could write news stories, but it did it in Ms. Prater’s class. She saw that I also had a passion for taking pictures and thought I would be a perfect fit for Riverside’s

newspaper.

Prater recommended me to be a photographer for Riverside’s newspaper, The Pirates’ Hook.

After a semester of being in the newspaper my advisor, Bryan Christopher, encouraged me to attend North Carolina Scholastic Media Association at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

I wasn’t sure if I could go since during the summers I always help out my dad with his work by cutting lawns. I work fulltime with him during school breaks, but managed to attend the summer camp. It greatly improved my photojournalism, and I brought new ideas back to The Pirates’ Hook in the fall. I used all the skills and tricks I learned andmade our photos look like it's a professional newspaper.

I went back for the second time the following summer and did a broadcast session. I learned the basics about TV production and it inspired me to create a news channel. It was a crazy idea - we had no equipment and would have to start from zero - but Mr. Christopher liked the idea.

We gave it a shot and it grew fast.

At first it was a struggle to start everything but after a while I got the hang of it. I was my own director and producer. Now the broadcast segments are widely viewed on The Hook’s IGTV channel.

After attending the camp for the

third year in a row last summer I was nominated to be Vice President of Visual Communications for the camp. In my role as vice president I realized that anything is possible if you put in the work. This year I helped design the camp, and hundreds of students from across the state will spend a

week learning about the journalism skills I think they need to know.

All the semesters of being in journalism and newspapers have helped me become a leader. This was when I realized journalism is a huge part of everyone’s life. I want to continue informing people in college and beyond and know

that I will one day see my name scrolling in the credits.

Sincerely,

Fabian H ernandez

I realized that anything is possible if you put in the work.

COLUMNS

Be true, even if it's difficult Dear COVID,

You tried to isolate me from the world, but did you know true isolation is something else altogether? The lessons I learned in school before quarantine were the best preparation possible for a worldwide pandemic.

Be true and be determined. I heard this phrase throughout my career as a student, but I didn’t truly understand it for the longest time.

Be true before anything else. Being true means different things to different people. To me, it means accepting all of who I am, the good and the bad, while working to be better all the while.

Before my realization junior year, I was closed off in ways I don’t even understand to this day. While I was still amiable and hard working, I never had any true friends. No one to talk to about the hard or messy stuff.

That all changed in an instant.

One day, one of my now good friends astutely got up from her seat looked me in the eye and said, “Tell me a secret” and I told her I was gay. While it wasn’t something that should have affected me at such a deep level, just getting it off my chest gave me a new understanding of freedom. While my immediate family had known for years, no one beyond that knew. I was working so hard trying to convince myself that this part of me didn’t matter that my stubbornness had morphed into something I didn’t want and didn’t even know was there.

Don’t follow in my footsteps and learn the hard way. Be true. To yourself, to those you care about and even those you don’t. If someone’s going to judge you, they should at least have the right idea.

After you figure out who you are, then your determination can truly shine.

During summer training for cross country my junior year, we ran 3-6 miles a day. After about a month of workouts, my left foot started

throbbing whenever I ran. A week earlier, I had tripped and fell on a root.

As this happens about 10 times a season, I just got back up and kept running. And then the unthinkable happened. I was running on the same trail, and slammed that same toe into a different root 50 feet from the one I had hit it on the first time.

While I didn’t know it at the time, I had broken my big toe horribly.

Unfortunately, I was hopelessly stubborn and determined to do my best that I ran on a broken toe. For a month.

Right at the start of the regular season, I couldn’t take it anymore. I finally went to the doctor and learned the truth. I was then out for the entire regular season. My determination had turned into disaster before my eyes.

The same injury caused another unforeseen circumstance the next season which made an already short season due to covid more painful than it needed to be.

Once again, I learned my lesson the hard way. There’s a thin line between determination and stubbornness, and it’s your job to find the balance.

So I say it again. Be true and be determined. A phrase with

meanings that evolve with

experience is one not easily

forgotten. If you work hard to be yourself, the possibilities are

endless.

SIncerely,

Ben Patton

Don’t follow in my footsteps and learn the hard way. Be true. To yourself, to those you care about and even those you don’t. If someone’s going to judge you, they should at least have the right idea.

SENIOR AGNES SCOTT COLLEGE

Lillian Grosshans

Avery Perz-Edwards

AMHERST COLLEGE

Ethan Ruderman

APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY

Nicky Albu

Annabelle Brown

Joseph Budziszewski Alena Dastur

Lucy Farrell

Bryce Gerdeman

Esmerelda Hernandez

Van Mitchell

Lauren Qiuhu Louie

CALVIN UNIVERSITY

Aiden Ehmann

CLEMSON UNIVERSITY

Jacob Dye

DAVIDSON COLLEGE

Kaitlyn Busch

Malik Ramadanovic

DUKE UNIVERSITY

Doriz Concepcion

Harper de Andrade

Easha Kuber

Isabelle Kuehn

Collin Pitts

Jenny Yan

DURHAM TECH

Farid Alfaro-Chavez

Carmelo Asuncion

Keith Crews

Richard Garcia Martinez

Andrew Hartman

Evan Hexter

Luis Romero

Ricardo Hurtado

Catalina Jimenez-Moya

Shania Kerr

Alexander King

Frantz Laventure

Jackson Lemons

Sincere Livingston

Christopher Lopez

Maria Lopez-Chan

Jala Magazine-Campbell

Aliyah Moore

Abdulkarim Mushaimish

India Pack

Tadasia Paulk

Ceili Rodriguez Ortiz

Ciclari Rojas

Angel Solorzano Arias

Niliyah Taylor

Donovan Vasquez

Francisco Velasquez- Hernandez

Sandra Victor

Isaac Villanada

Ariadne Villatoro Campos

Amaya Wright

EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY

Smitlyn Daweah

Simone Grose

Kaitlin Khosravi-Far

Shayda Gayosso-Lopez

ELON UNIVERSITY

Brian Phan

EMORY UNIVERSITY

Sarah Weiss

FAYETTEVILLE STATE UNIVERSITY

Tyshanie Lee

GAP YEAR

Ja’Daja Bunch

Carson Jones

Ana Meza Matute

Katherine Ortiz

iiiii

Shea Pritchard

Elijah Purefoy

GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY

Jenna Maloy

GUILFORD COLLEGE

Riley Barnes

HIGH POINT UNIVERSITY

Ava Daniels

HOWARD UNIVERSITY

Jeremy Russ

JOHNSON & WALES UNIVERSITY

Auryell Arnette

Tamayia Wilson

LIBERTY UNIVERSITY

Emily Johnson

LIVINGSTONE COLLEGE

Elijah Fuller

LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO

Katie Kelly

MANHATTAN COLLEGE

Andre Harper Jr

MARIETTA COLLEGE

Ben Sobb

MARY BALDWIN UNIVERSITY

Sophie Wilkins

MARS HILL UNIVERSITY

Rebeca Sanchez-Oliveros

MILITARY

Sanaa Solomon

DESTINATIONS NC A&T UNIVERSITY

Jazmine Green

Deborah Ensley

Enock Kwizera

Arslan Syed

Tyre Smith

NC CENTRAL UNIVERSITY

Gloria Matthews

Makayla McFadden

Hijab Zahra

NC STATE UNIVERSITY

Nathan Archer

Everett Devany

Justin Drake

Eli Edds

Katie Hammer

Emily Jackson

Dorian Lineberger

Ben Patton

Nick Seifert

-Elliot Umbarger

Dylan Woodlief

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY

Leo Smith

PACE UNIVERSITY

Ella Wells

REED COLLEGE

Romina Solberg

SHAW UNIVERSITY

Azariyah Priester

TRANSYLVANIA UNIVERSITY

Caleb Bowers

TRINITY COLLEGE

Walker James

UNC ASHEVILLE

Tyler Coyne

Mary Holloway

Anna Konar

Cynthia Martinez

Josie Sanfelici

Dylan Smith

UNC CHAPEL HILL

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA

Eva Flowe

Minna Fullenkamp

Jacob Bosecker

Ella Graham

Brendan Rizzuto

George Stern

Jonathan Uribe

UNC GREENSBORO

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHAMPAIGN-URBANA

WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ST LOUIS

Adam Kirsch

WEST VIRGINIA

Robert Alling

WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE

Luca Makarushka-Napp

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

WORKFORCE

Cameron Dark

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS

Jason Koweek

homas Alling

Nicholas Chotas

Patrick Pepper

John Rust

Camryn Stevens

Emeline Van Deman

Josh White

Vivin Zheng

Ashley Linden

Ethan Rodgers-Gates

UNC CHARLOTTE

Cael Laird

SALEM COLLEGE

UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND

VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY

Chester Kuehn

SAINT XAVIER UNIVERSITY

Ian Reevy

Hannah Ettu

Jahna Davis

Iradukunda Gilbert

Lucy Kraus

Arora Rohrbach

Ruth Castillo

Dulce Flores

Fabian Hernandez Blanca Mendez

Holly Payne

ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO

Epiphany Ashby

VIRGINIA TECH

WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY

Edisson Alvarez-Roman

Nakia Blackwell

Jessica Bumgarner

Fatima Ceron-Ortega

Jonatan Cordero Palma

Aracely Cruz Sanchez

Isaac Daffron

Jillian Hadden

Tamea Mems

Justin McGill

Sebastian Ortiz Miranda

Nestor Quintanilla Mariona

Jason Rosario-Cruz

Tahjei Smith

Arthur Williams Jr

WINSTON SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY

Taylor Royster

Ethan Smith

Matthew Summerson

WAKE TECH

Antonio Beltran

Micah Chase

Richod Griffin

Eliot Kuehn

Lina Shihab

Nick Yablunosky

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SARAH BELL

SPOTLIGHTS

A Life on the Farm As seniors look to leave home, Patricia Marroquin is excited to stay put

By Ethan Haine Senior Patricia Marroquin is kind and thoughtful, thanks to the farms she has grown up on.

She started loving goats at her father’s ranch in El Salvador, and now they are building a small farm here in Durham.

“Animals can really change your perspective on everything around you,” she said. “Animals, especially my goats, have made me value life more and I want to return the favor. I would like to study to become a veterinarian somewhere in my future. Also because my goat is pregnant, I will be caring for the baby goats after I graduate.”

As many seniors wait anxiously to find out what their future holds, Marroquin is embracing the uncertainty.

“I’m excited for what my future will bring for me but I'm also young and in no pressure to make concrete choices,” she said.

“We all obviously want a path that will lead us to a stable job but quarantine taught me that I want to live in the moment and stop overthinking my future.”

Marroquin says her teachers have been like second parents to her. One of those teachers, Emily Ericson, has had her for both creative writing and English this year.

“Patricia is truly one of the best humans,” Ericson said. “I’ve so enjoyed her honesty and the way she shows up. This young woman is so compassionate, and kind, and understanding, and patient, and considerate.”

"Animals can really change your perspective on everything around you.”

(ABOVE) PATRICIA'S GOAT, FRANCESCA

PHOTOS COURTESY OF PATRICIA MARROQUIN.

SPOTLIGHTS

Riding the wave Jenna Maloy's decision to join Riverside's swim team changed her life forever

By Tyler McLean Jenna Maloy’s passion and determination make her a unique member of the class of 2021.

In a big school like Riverside, it can be tough for freshmen to find their place. For Maloy, joining the swim team made her feel at home.

“I joined the swim team because I had never done a school sport before,” Maloy said. “Swimming is my passion and I thought it would be another fun way for me to compete in the pool.”

That decision to join the team turned into an accomplished high school swimming career, including qualifying for the state finals in the 200 Intermediate Relay.

“My biggest inspiration is probably my team,” she said. “It is very much like a family and [my teammates] are very encouraging and supportive. They push themselves every day in practice and that makes me want to work just as hard.”

Maloy made good use of her time outside the water, too. She maintained straight A’s during all four years of high school and wants both school and swimming to remain a part of her life.

“I plan to swim and study electrical engineering at Georgia Southern University next fall,” she said. "After that, I am just excited to see where life will take me."

PHOTO COURTESY OF JENNA MALOY

“My biggest inspiration is probably my team. It is very much like a family and [my teammates] are very encouraging and supportive. They push themselves every day in practice and that makes me want to work just as hard.”

SPOTLIGHTS

Opportunity calls Tyshanie Lee used her free time during the pandemic to start her own business

By Ella Whithaus Senior Tyshanie Lee spends her free time during the pandemic differently than most students: she runs her own business.

Lee created “Ty’s Limited Edition” last June, which started off selling eyelash products.

She was inspired to start it because so many people ask her how she does her eyelashes.

“I felt as if I should be the one to provide items to make ‘All Glam Girls Feel Glamorous’ (my motto),” she said.

In August, Lee decided to expand to skin care products, as well, because she knew people suffered with skin issues especially transitioning into different seasons.

“I usually work on my business every day after school, even on Wellness Wednesdays & Asynchronous Fridays,” she said.

Lee has five brand ambassadors from different schools around Durham who help her perfect the products.

While starting a business during the pandemic was difficult since many people are not financially stable enough to buy her products, she still received a lot of support.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF TYSHANIE LEE “I still had support in other ways - whether that was word of mouth or reposting things from my [Instagram] page,” said Lee.

Currently, she is taking a break from her business but will probably start back once graduation passes.

“I eventually got to the point where I was happy with my business and how it was taking off!” she said.

Lee is also an active member of the Riverside Cheerleading team, which she is a captain for.

She started cheer in 2014 and plans on continuing in college.

Her cheerleading coach, Kayla Thompson, describes her as kind, optimistic, and a natural at building relationships.

“She is instrumental to the growth of our team in all aspects and wants to see everybody win,” said Thompson. “I can speak for the team in saying we all love her very much and she will truly be missed as she transitions into adulthood.”

“I usually work on my business every day after school, even on Wellness Wednesdays and Asynchronous Fridays."

SPOTLIGHTS

Lost and found

Before the pandemic hit, Emily Jackson found a way to continue her gymnastics career

By Janel Perry Emily Jackson has done a lot!

In addition to taking a full load of honors and AP classes, Jackson also participated in track, cross-country, and gymnastics. Riverside had not had a gymnastics team in many years, but she and 2020 Riverside graduate Chyanne Couturier brought it back.

‘We were on a club team together at Acrosport Gymnastics,” Jackson said. “Going into ninth grade we knew we wanted to compete at the high school level and we thought it would be fun to start something new at Riverside.”

Creating the team allowed Jackson to continue her gymnastics career, which began just down the road, on the corner of Rose and Sharon and Guess Road, when she was young.

“I was in kindergarten when me and my mom drove past Acrosport, and I thought that it was a ballet school”, Jackson said.

“My mom told me that it was actually gymnastics, which I had never heard of before. I wanted to join purely out of curiosity, so my mom put my sister and I in classes. A few years later, we started competing and I really fell in love with the sport!”

Jackson says her arts teachers and coaches were a huge part of her high school experience.

“When I was a freshman I took beginning and intermediate dance,” Jackson said. “It was very outside of my comfort zone but Ms. Duncan helped me throughout both classes and always pushed me and my classmates to be confident and have fun. "

“My cross-country and track coaches also played a huge role in my high school experience. Even though I'm not a fan of long distance running, I always looked forward to cross-country season because the whole team feels like a family."

Jackson plans to attend NC State in the fall as a member of the Environmental First Year program and pursue a major related to Environmental science. She said her senior year of high school doesn’t feel real because of the pandemic and virtual classes.

“It kind of feels like we ‘lost’ this past year, or that it didn't really count,” she said. “Sometimes it'll randomly hit me that I'll be done with high school, which feels bittersweet. Regardless, I'm excited to move on to college and adulthood.”

Thank you Hook sponsors!

PHOTO COURTESY OF SHAUN THOMPSON

David Ascher

Tolly Boatwright

Susan Cohen

Elinor Coates

Jose Enamorado

Deirdre Gordon

Richard & Scott Hill

Robin Kirk

Kim & Henry Krzywy

Carolyn McAllaster

Stacey McCorison

Marie Muir

Michael Reckhow

Haldon J Sandick

Steve Schewel

Steve Unruhe

Tim & Dianne Wooldridge

In memory of Lenny May

SPOTLIGHTS

Enjoying the journey Busy schedules and hard work didn't stop Harper de Andrade from enjoying his high school career

By Jacob Hindman Harper de Andrade is easily one of the hardest working students at Riverside, but he still managed to enjoy high school.

Harper was part of Riverside’s PLTW program for his entire high school career. When he wasn’t excelling in class, he participated in Battle of the Books, Robotics Club and The North Carolina Junior Classical League.

His work inside and out of the classroom created opportunities to do big things.

“I was given the option to stay at Riverside and graduate early rather than go to NCSSM,” de Andrade said. “With Covid and everything it just seemed like the safest choice for me and my family’s health.

Graduating early and going to Duke feels pretty incredible honestly.

Especially given that I have been welcomed into the school as a Benjamin N. Duke Scholar so I am now able to go to Duke without the financial burden of paying for a Duke education.”

The college application process wasn’t a solo job for Harper. He had teachers helping along the way.

"[Applying for college] was definitely a group effort, especially applying with only 2.5 years of classes before admissions,” he said.

“Mr. Stallings definitely deserves a shout-out for talking to me about college choices and reassuring all of his students that no matter where we ended up going, that we would be okay."

With so many accomplishments to choose from, de Andrade struggles to nail down what he’s most proud of in his entire high school career.

“I would say my greatest accomplishment so far is staying involved in robotics and the JCL at the highest capacity possible while still having fun,” de Andrade said. “I don’t really know how to word it, but I’m just so surprised that I was able to keep up with all of it and I’m proud that I somehow did.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF HARPER DE ANDRADE.

"I'm just so surprised that I was able to keep up with all of it and I'm proud that somehow I did."

SPOTLIGHTS

Continuing the fight Lillian Grosshans is taking their advocacy to college

By Thomas Romano

Senior Lillian Grosshans is known within the Durham community as an LGBTQ and voting rights advocate.

At Riverside she is president of the Queer-Straight Alliance (QSA) and Editor-in-Chief of the Literary Magazine, The Cannon.

Outside of school, she volunteers at Kids Voting Durham, an organization that helps involve youth in elections at all levels, as well as interns at Duke University in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Material Science.

“I myself identify as LGBTQ and feel strongly that people like me should have equal rights, so I [want] to help create a safe space for other LGBTQ students,” she said. “As for voting rights, I’ve always been passionate about the right to vote - it’s something that can create real change in our communities.”

Grosshans plans on attending Agnes Scott College, a historically women’s college in Decatur, Georgia, where she will major in either neuroscience or public health.

Even after she moves on to the next stage of her life, she plans to continue her efforts in activism.

“In my life after high school, I want to continue speaking out for people who can’t speak for themselves and uplifting voices that need to be heard,” she said. “I can’t imagine a world where I stay silent and therefore complicit to the system.”

“I want to continue speaking up for people who can't speak for themselves and uplifting voices that need to be heard. I can’t imagine a world where I stay silent and therefore complicit to the system.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF LILLIAN GROSSHANS.

SPOTLIGHTS

Science Olympiad makes a comeback

As she pursued her own career in science, Jenny Yan rebooted an opportunity for all students

By Genesis Smith Lopez As Jenny Yan opened doors for herself, she also created opportunities for future Riverside science students.

Yan saw science olympiads as an opportunity to learn more about science and connect with others who share the same goals. Science Olympiad teams compete against each other to enforce communication skills and confidence within themselves and their peers and encourage students to carry out their goals and stay motivated even if they find themselves stuck. “I was really interested in biology and taking honors biology with Mika Twietmeyer,” Yan said. “I thought science olympiads was a great opportunity for everyone.”

Twietmeyer also helped reboot the science olympiads.

"One of Jenny’s most impressive qualities, even as a ninth grader, was that she was willing to ask for help and seek support,” Twietmeyer said. “She would reach out to me with questions about how to run the meetings, how to advertise and recruit, and how to communicate with the team. She listened to what her team members needed and wanted from the club and adapted.”

Yan said the experience taught her more than just science.

“It helped me coordinate with everyone and be a better leader,” she said.

Yan plans to attend Duke University in the fall.

“Right now I'm looking into [studying] biology,” she said. “My main goal is to become a scientist.”

. (jENNY YAN (THIRD FROM RIGHT) AND THE RHS SCIENCE OLYMIPAD TEAM. PHOTO COURTESY OF MIKA TWIETMEYER

SPOTLIGHTS

Never alone Rebeca Sanchez got the support she needed to reach the next level.

By Cristela Vargas Delgado Senior Rebeca Sanchez started playing lacrosse at the age of 11 on a boys team. Now she is committed to play at Mars Hill University.

“[When I first started] I was really bad and couldn't do anything athletic to save my life,” Sanchez said. “But from then on I kept practicing because I wanted to be as good as all the other boys.'

In addition to playing for Riverside’s softball and women’s lacrosse teams, Sanchez is student body vice-president and works part time at Jamba Juice.

“Lacrosse, softball, being class president and work have been super fun,” she said. “I am super busy and at the end of most days I just want to sleep. But being a part of something, whether it’s school or work, is a really cool experience, especially when I’m surrounded by some of the best and funniest people.”

Sanchez verbally committed in mid-October to Mars Hill and officially signed a letter of intent to play in November.

“All of it was super exciting,” she said. “The recruiting process was very interesting...stressful at times but exciting.”

She is super excited to graduate and hopes to major in biology with a concentration in pre-med. She wants to become a pediatrician with some sort of focus in the special needs area.

“My parents have played a tremendous role in my life,” she said, “but honestly really any adult I've had some sort of relationship with, whether it was a teacher, coach, youth leader or friend’s parents, anyone I come in contact with played an important role in my life.

“I'm a huge believer that you don't meet people by accident,” she said. “Everyone you meet is there to teach you something.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF RIVERSIDE ATHLETICS

"I'm a big believer that you don't meet people by accident. Everyone you meet is there to teach you something."

SPOTLIGHTS

A new lense

photography changed Isaac Baker's world

By Elizabeth Williams At the age of thirteen Issac Baker realized that photography was more than just a hobby. It was a passion.

“What makes me interested in photography is being able to share your perspective on life through images with others who might not be able to see the things you see, or experience the things you experience,” Baker said.

After he noticed that his dad and his grandfather were both into photography he started to take it in even more.

“One of my favorite things are the black and white photos my dad has taken, framed, and hung around his house,”Baker said. “So in a way, you could say this was inherited. But it was a hobby I found that helped me define myself, and it still does.”

His passion forced him to make a hard decision during his junior year.

Baker decided to leave the engineering program in order to free up his schedule to take more photography classes.

In addition to giving him another interest, photograph also introduced Baker to a different environment.

“I think Twietmeyer and the dynamics within the class just pushed for us to stay motivated and committed to our artistic endeavors,” Baker said. “Signing up for photography really gave me a community that appreciated me, pushed, and nurtured me. If I hadn’t chosen to take photography, I would’ve missed out on relationships and friendships I cherish every day.”

His interest in photography coincided with a desire to spend more time outdoors. One of his biggest accomplishments is finishing a 50mile hiking trip in five days.

After taking photography his sophomore and junior year he wasn’t able to take it this year due to photography teacher Jon Twietmeyer leaving Riverside during the fall semester, but that won’t stop him from taking it along with him after high school. He plans to attend college, likely Durham Tech, as well as visit Japan and go on a biking and/or camping trip while carrying his camera and taking pictures of everything.

Baker said he’s motivated by himself, others and God. His mother has also played a big role in his life.

“She’s really helped me build a strong relationship with God through raising me in the Episocopal church,” he said.

He struggles to find the words to describe how it feels to finish his last year of high school.

“I still can’t comprehend it!” he said. “It’s always felt like a few years away but now that it’s here, it’s just hit me like a truck. Looking into the far future, I can’t wait to share the photos I take now with my kids or people who weren’t alive at the time.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ISAAC BAKER

WILLS I, Nicky Albu, hereby leave Katherine my Spanish notes.

I Nathan Archer, leave nothing to no one.

I, Auryell Arnette, hereby leave all my love to my Sirens and my seat in Ms. Watson’s class during lunch to Emmett.

I, Jacob Bosecker, hereby leave this sentence unfini

I, Joseph Budziszewski, hereby leave the darkroom to whoever the hell will actually use it.

I Jessica Bumgarner, hereby leave my cap, gown and diploma to my fish.

I, Kaitlyn Busch, hereby leave so many sweaty hugs and all my sunscreen and ibuprofen to the best teammates in the whole world!

I, Micah Chase, hereby leave my chorus leadership as a bass to Dante and Mason.

I, Nick Chotas, leave my title of Watts St. Baptist ambassador to Philip Patillo.

I, Doriz Gean Concepcion, leave the remainder of my patience after four years in this school to Kate Patillo, Eva Egeghy, Ella Whithaus, and Mackenzie Norman.

I, Harper de Andrade, hereby leave the Dr. Huber Memorial Parking space to Eli Rodriguez.

I, Eli Edds, hereby leave my spaghetti code to Henry and Brendan, leave my show file and C-wrench to Sylvia, and leave my half of the Debate Club to Eva.

I, Deborah Ensley, will leave all of my sports memories with Jenny, Willow, and Carlyn

I, Chantal Garcia, will be amazing.

I, Bryce Gerdeman, leave my all my swag and money to Razvan.

I, Ella Graham, hereby leave my spot on the volleyball team to Maya, my binders of schoolwork to Kate, and bringing Coach Bell lunch to Ryan.

I, Lily June Grosshans, hereby leave the Queer Straight Alliance to whomever is brave enough to run it.

I, Katie Hammer, hereby give the coolest sophomore award to Megan Pepper (take care of the swim team too!).

I, Katie Kelly, leave my last minute motivation to do AP class work to Ava Kilgore.

I, Cael Laird, hereby leave my Chromebook to Jake Foley.

I, Jenna Maloy, hereby leave my butterfly legacy to Elodie.

I, Cynthia Martinez, hereby leave my hangers in the ROTC room to my sister and Brianna, proud of you ladies, NC-943 forever.

I, Makayla McFadden, hereby leave the Men's Dressing room memories to Ben and James.

I, Ben Patton, hereby leave my hard-earned wisdom and whatever is left of my work ethic to Eli Rodriguez and Eva Egeghy

I, Avery Kate Perz-Edwards, hereby leave to Vivian and Rowan the JCL and to Rowan I leave my APUSH notes and my AP psych study guides.

I, Azariyah Priester, AKA Zari will throw all the young and dumb schemes away & carry the fun memories worth value . I hope my younger brother Zy'Aire can have a good experience through his next 3 years.

I, Malik Ramadanovic, hereby leave my leadership in Overtones to Myles.

I, Rebeca Sanchez, hereby leave the lacrosse team in jenny’s hands

I Romina Solberg, leave the deep thinking to the juniors

I, Sanaa Solomon, hereby leave my ROTC program to the brilliant upcoming cadets year 22 and 23. Have fun guys!!

I, George Stern, hereby leave my lactose intolerance to whoever wants it.

I, Niliyah Taylor, hereby leave this advice: Sometimes even the teacher needs to be taught, nobody is all knowing, don't be afraid to question.

I, Ella Wells, hereby swear to leave my toxic behavior to the freshman.

I, Sophie Wilkins, hereby leave all the positions to Viv, haha. You and Josie will do great tho, and please keep JCL alive.

I, Tamayia Wilson, hereby leave all my love and support to Diona Wilson.

I, Elliot Umbarger, hereby leave "Pepper Week" to Ms. Stone's classrooms.

I, Sincere Livingston, hereby leave my front desk position to whomever Ms. Cowan finds worthy.

I, Ariadne Villatoro Campos, hereby leave my sister for a new adventure and leave with no friends by my side.

QUOTES Ana Meza Matute: “Too many stars, too many dreams. The reality is that in front of these things, I’m just a speck of dust” - Kim Namjoon

Nicky Albu: "Be a hero" - GoPro

Farid Alfaro: "Life is measured by how you lived it, not by the years." - Gabriel Iglesias

Robert Alling: "I don't like that man. I must get to know him better." - Abraham Lincoln

Nathan Archer: "Fine. What’s 17 more years?"

Auryell Arnette: “You lose a lot of money chasing women, but you never lose women chasing money. Real talk 100 percent.” - some guy from TikTok

Mico Asuncion: "Your future is only as good as the work you put into it."

Isaac Baker: "Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Nakia Blackwell: "The only people who eat Peppermint York Patties are 70-year-old women who want to feel an emotion...and they wanna feel pain." -Nakia, 2020

Jacob Bosecker: "You'd better get whelmed" Robin

Joseph Budziszewski: "My rapper name is Crispy Cheekz."

Jessica Bumgarner: "I feel like I just came out of a four hour horror movie that I didnt understand." Jessica Kendall Bumgarner

Ja´Daja Bunch: "Been ready for you."

Micah Chase: "Do business as business is being done."

Nicholas Chotas: "Unbothered. Moisturized.

Happy. In my lane. focused. flourishing."

Doriz Gean Concepcion: "A common misconception is that Concepcion is spelled Conception."

Aracely Cruz Sanchez: “You will regret someday if you don’t do your best now.” - Jeon Jungkook

Alena Dastur: "I did my waiting! Twelve years of it!

In Azkaban!" - Sirius Black

Smitlyn Daweah: “No matter how hard it is right now, think of how the result will make you feel.” Jimin

Justin Drake: "It is what it is."

Eli Edds: "It's called a lamp."

Aiden Ehmann: “Work smarter, not harder.” Allen F. Morgenstern

Deborah Ensley: “They finally let me out of prison, on good behavior!!!” - Deborah

Hannah Ettu: "I didn’t even know senior quotes were due until tonight, and I think that tells you all you need to know about my high school experience!" - Me

Dulce Flores: "Don’t forget that nightmares are also dreams." - Dulce F.

Chantal Garcia: "I am going to marry McCullen someday." - Chantal Garcia

Bryce Gerdeman: "Good luck."

Iradukunda Gilbert: “Don't underestimate yourself, errors are steps to learn from and that will take you from where you are now to where you are determined to be.”

Jazmine Green: “Don’t judge my choices without understanding my reasons. If you never met me than you have no right to judge me. I have a good heart but this heart could get ugly.” - DMX

Richod Griffin: "Stay true to yourself"

Lilian Grosshans: "So long and thanks for all the fish!" - Douglas Adams, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Esmeralda Hernandez-Alvarez: "Ponte las pilas." Mama

Evan Hexter: “The winner isn’t the one with the fastest car, it’s the one who refuses to lose.” - Dale Earnhardt

Ricardo Hurtado: "Your life is meant to be one of a kind. Get up and get out there. Be Someone worth remembering." - Kaido Wolfe

Emily Jackson: "Wait until y'all see my senior quote."

Carson Jones: “I am against religion because it teaches us to be satisfied with not understanding the world.” - Richard Dawkins

Katie Kelly: “Wearing pajama pants and Birkenstocks every day freshman year really set the tone for my high school experience.”

Adam Kirsch: “People are only either singers or dancers. Except sign language interpreters, they are both” - @adamkirsch9 on Twitter

Jason Koweek: "We're no strangers to love. You know the rules and so do I. A full commitment's what I'm thinking of. You wouldn't get this from any other guy." - Rick Astley

Easha Kuber: "Barely lived, laughed, and loved in the past 4 years."

Elliot Kuehn: "I love you 3000." - Tony Stark, Avengers Endgame

Maria Lopez: "My life is just beginning" - Maria

Cael Laird: "Now I do what I want. (Yeah)" - Lil Uzi Vert

Tyshanie Lee: "I’m not crying because I fell, I’m crying because I did it #graduate."

Shayda Lopez: "Hogwarts IS real, cause this sure was Azkaban."

Lauren Louie: "Look ma I made it."

Frantz Laventure: "Hope is a forever living flame"

Jala Magazine-Campbell: "I'll meet you in the McDonald's Larking pot." -Jala M. 2021

Emma Majors: “Don't look down, cause we're still rising up right now, and even if we hit the ground we'll still fly. Keep dreaming like we'll live forever but live it like it's now or never.” - Sunset Curve

Jenna Maloy: "The first rule of truly living- Do the thing you are most afraid of." - Rebecca Mickaelson

Cynthia Martínez: "Of course I graduated I’m a MexiCAN not a MexiCAN’T."

Makayla McFadden: "If you're gonna slack off in school, might as well do it in style. By style I mean crying."

Aliyah Moore: “I can do all things through Christ which strengthen me.” - Phillippians 4:13

India Pack: "You can change the clocks but you can’t change hours, I’m waiting on the day spring can’t bring flowers." - Chance The Rapper

Ben Patton: "Use your heart and mind to build a life you can be proud of."

Holly Payne: "Believe you can and you're halfway there." - Theodore Roosevelt

Azariyah Priester: "Always believe in yourself, manifest it." - Zari

Shea Pritchard: "Everything you can imagine is real" - Pablo Picasso

Elijah Purefoy: "Life is like a sandwich. No matter which way you flip it, the bread comes first."

Malik Ramadanovic: “If you focus on what you left behind, you will never be able to see what lies ahead.” - Ratatouille

Ceili Rodriguez Ortiz: "Don't live someone else's dreams, find your own."

Ciclari Rojas: "My parents crossed the border so I can cross the stage. Siempre hay belleza en la lucha gracias mamá y papá y mi familia!"

Luis Romero: "Don't just live, be alive"

Taylor Royster: "If I could do it so can you."

Rebeca Sanchez: “It’s going to be okay.”

Nick Seifert: “I have no idea what I’m doing but I know I do it really, really well.” - Andy Dwyer

Leo Smith: "Work hard, play hard, you know the rest." - Leo

Sanaa Solomon: "Enjoy your life experience, the fun and joyous adventures of the world. Spread kindness, take risks, grab as many opportunities as you can. Join things and quit things that make you comfortable and if/when you’re on your road to success help a person or two along the way."

George Stern: "Give me 20 years I'll either be successful or in prison."

Niliyah Taylor: "Always remember knowledge is power in a world where common sense is not so common"

Elliot Umbarger: "You ever wonder why we're?" Simmons

Jonathan Uribe: "It was lovely."

Ariadne Villatoro Campos: "Lost some brain cells here so could y'all give them back"

Myliah Wallace: "High school is what you make it!"

Ella Wells: "Statistics, yup." - Timothee Chalamet

Dylan Woodlief: “I would like to see anyone, prophet, king or God, convince a thousand cats to do the same thing at the same time.” - Neil Gaiman

Hijab Zahra: "Just keep swimming." - Dory

Vivin Zheng: "People seem to believe that there's an invisible A in my first name that they just can't see, but they won't believe me when I tell them I'm from Fuqing, China. Go figure."

SHOUT-OUTS Nicky Albu: Shout out to Mrs. K for letting us come to your room in the morning and during lunch, my favorite times at Riverside were in your classroom.

Farid Alfaro: Shout out to Mr. Mann, for always having time for others.

Robert Alling: Thank you to Ms. Simpson for always being able to make time in order to help me. Additionally, thank you Ms. Mester for always being willing to try and help me find the right book, and for generally making the library a more welcoming and overall better place.

Nathan Archer: Shout out to Dr. Huber even though he left

Auryell Arnette: Shout out to Ms. Watson, for screaming the features of the guy I thought was cute when I asked her a simple question about him.

Mico Asuncion: Shout out to Mr. Privette for being one of my favorite teachers at RHS.

Isaac Baker: Shout out to Mr. Twietmeyer, thank you for letting me stay after school to work on my photography projects, and always lending an ear.

Nakia Blackwell: Shout out to Ms. Palmer, for being one of the nicest and coolest teachers I've had during my 11th grade.

Jacob Bosecker: Shout out to Mr. Davidson, for rolling with our shenanigans.

Joseph Budziszewski: Shout out to the archwizard himself, Velegol.

Ja´Daja Bunch: Thank you Ms.. Cooper for being a great teacher and very supportive.

Kaitlyn Busch: Shout out to Coach Thompson, Mr. Christopher, Ms. Simpson, Ms. Stone, and every other teacher who helped and supported me

Micah Chase: Shout out to Mrs. Webley for understanding that I was in a bad space and let me keep to myself.

Nicholas Chotas: Quick shout out to Christina Applegate.

Doriz Gean Concepcion: Shout out to Mrs. Simpson for letting me eat lunch in her classroom almost every day of junior year!

Aracely Cruz Sanchez: Shout out to my girls (Smitlyn, Shayda and Ana) for always entertaining me during lunch.

Alena Dastur: Shout out to Coach Thompson for making cross country and track so fun!

Harper de Andrade: Shout out to Mr. Stallings for making online architectural engineering and design actually fun.

Aiden Ehmann: Shout out to Mr. Davidson for teaching me a lot about engineering and for helping advise D&D club.

Deborah Ensley: I had a lot of good teachers but thanks a lot specifically to Coach Palmer, I would have lost my mind without you. You helped me grow.

Hannah Ettu: Shout out to Coach Thompson for letting me play Christmas music in APES when it was October!

Dulce Flores: Shout out to Mr. Mann for being the best teacher I could have 4 years in a row.

Jazmine Green: I truly and honestly give a shoutout to all the teachers I’ve had since freshman, I know I could be troublesome at times, but you never gave up on me...Thank You

Richod Griffin: Shout out to Mr. Paton and Mrs. Palmer for always making class fun

Lilian Grosshans: Shoutout to Doriz Concepcion for being my essay editor.

Katie Hammer: Shout out to Mr. Strand for having our best interests at heart

Evan Hexter: Coach Tharrington, for three great varsity golf seasons

Ricardo Hurtado: I would like to shout out all my teachers from sophomore year and senior year and thank them all for helping me get to where I am

Emily Jackson: Shout out to Coach Thompson for doing highs/lows every day in APES

Carson Jones: Thank you to Mr. Steven “Steve” Mann for putting up with me for four long years.

Katie Kelly: Shoutout to Ms. Foster and Ms. Twietmeyer for helping me survive for sophomore year

Jason Koweek: Shout out to Mr. Groff for being a great teacher and sponsor to the Model UN club.

Easha Kuber: Shoutout to all the STEM teachers for watching me bawl my eyes out in front of them.

Elliot Kuehn: Shout out to Ms Boliek and Malik for helping me do a good job and for having fun in chorus!

Cael Laird: Shout out Nate Gordon, that is one handsome son of a gun.

Frantz Laventure: Shout out to Mr. Eric Wilson because he showed me that there are better people out there.

Sincere Livingston: Shout out to all administrators for being hard on me and making sure I stay on top of everything.

Maria Lopez: Shout out to Ms. K, she was the sweetest most caring person I met.

Jala Magazine-Campbell; Shout out to Ms. Taylor for introducing cinnamon flavored bagels to me in 10th grade, delicious

Emma Majors: Shout out to Ms. Steele, for giving me a safe place to be myself. Shout out to Ms. Foster, who gave me a lot of amazing advice.

Jenna Maloy: Shout out to Mrs. Simpson for getting me through 3 semesters of math.

Cynthia Martínez: Shout out to major Bailey for being an amazing instructor and making me laugh with his dad jokes, I’ll miss them for sure.

Makayla McFadden: Shout out to Mr.Mann for being there for me throughout my 4 years of high school. You made school more fun and it was amazing. Also Ms Jenkins for helping me get on track for school in my later years in HS and its sad that I couldn't be under you this year.

Justin McGill: Shout out to Ms. Jenkins for helping me.

Tamea Mems: Shout out to Ms. Jenkins for pushing me to graduate !

Aliyah Moore: Shout out to Miss Jenkins for always encouraging me and pushing me to do the best I can!

India Pack: Shout out to Mrs. Boliek, Thank you for everything.

Ben Patton: Shoutout to Eva Flowe for making me realize that putting yourself out there can only make you stronger.

Holly Payne: Shout out to Mr. Mann for being the best band director!

Avery Kate Perz-Edwards: Shout out to Mr. Nguyen for always letting me work in his classroom and shout out to Mr. Thompson for letting me cry in his classroom.

Azariyah Priester: Shout out to Mr, Paton the funniest teacher, that could brighten my day up even at my worst. Shout out to Mr. Crowl for making online school interesting with his little one wanting attention during class lol.

Elijah Purefoy: Shout out to Ms. Sara Moore for teaching me everything I know about music, and being a positive role model, even in the toughest of situations.

Malik Ramadanovic: Shout out to Mr. Holly for all the things he does for the auditorium and school

Ciclari Rojas: Shout out to all my teachers who told me to never give up and that I can do it! Love y’all!

Luis Romero: Shout out to Ms. Watson for helping me out with anything I needed through all 4 years of high school, and Mr. Davidson because without his help I probably would have not passed Aero. Also shout out to Ms. Kurosu who, although no longer works here, made my sophomore year even better.

Taylor Royster: Shout out to Mr.Crowl for being an amazing math teacher. He actually made it fun to join class while on Zoom

Rebeca Sanchez: Shout out to Ms. Brady, Mr. Nevola, Mr. Bolen, Mr. Tokonitz and Mr. Mann

Romina Solberg: Shout out Dr. Huber for being the goat

Sanaa Solomon: Shout out to Mrs. Alman, Mrs. Hawkins, Mr. Privette, Mrs. Steele and many more for making my high school career comfortable and worth fighting for

Niliyah Taylor: Shout out to Mr. Turner, the only reason I wanted to go to school! Thank you for letting me be me....even if me is a little crazy

Elliot Umbarger: Shout out to Mr. Velegol for always being there to support us.

Jonathan Uribe: Shout out to Mr. Stallings for being an awesome teacher

Ariadne Villatoro Campos: Shout out to Ms. Foster for always looking out for me

Myliah Wallace: Shout out to Ms. Palmer for always putting a smile on my face and encouraging me to do anything I want. Shout out to Ms.Duncan thank you for being so patient when it came to dance and thanks for all the fun memories.

Ella Wells: Shout out to Ms. Duncan, for putting up with me in dance.

Sophie Wilkins: Thank you Mr. Nguyen for letting me eat bell peppers in class back in freshman year, I miss that Math 3 class a lot. And to Mr. Davidson, even though you scare me sometimes, I always was happy you were my teacher. To Magistra Lido: Thank you for continuing to encourage my love for Latin and languages and good luck with next year's JCL.

Tamayia Wilson: I shout out Ms. Watson, Ms. Foster and Ms. Boliek for always being there for me and supporting me.

Hijab Zahra: Shout out to Mr. Privette for making math a lot easier and more enjoyable than it is.

Vivin Zheng: Shout out to Dr. Huber, the man, the myth, the legend, for making POE a memorable experience. Your legacy lives on.

SUPERLATIVES

Eva Flowe

Most likely to make a scene with their political rival

Jenny Yan Most likely to win the Nobel Prize

Cael Laird Most likely to go pro in their sport

Romina Solberg Most likely to write someone off based on their astrological sign

Ella Wells Most likely to TikTok shamelessly in public