If I did not write a final article about my experiences at James Caldwell High School, I can confidently assure you that my duty as an editor would not be fulfilled. I am glad to say that the most precious moments of my time at this school were during the extracurriculars and personal endeavors that I completed with the support of my school and the teachers who inspired me.

When I first started high school, I thought that everything would fall into place just as everything did in middle school. I can vividly recall late nights studying and memorizing formulas I can probably still recite. This seemed to be what high school was all about, right? It was only when I began to pursue extracurriculars that actually fascinated me, probing my deep curiosity, such as Forensics and Mock Trial that I was able to actually fulfill myself. I became infatuated with the way I could express myself freely in the way

Forensics allowed me to do. The sweaty palms and anticipation in tournaments fueled my inner fire to succeed and this drive also carried into my schoolwork. I began to desire to learn beyond the scope of the material taught in school and began researching my favorite books such as “The Catcher in the Rye” and “Slaughterhouse- 5.” These books fed my intellectual spirit and I grew to love the witty and sardonic humor of satirical writing. Perhaps that was what motivated me to apply for the position of Opinions and Satire Section Editor.

As my time now winds down at this school where I spent four years of my life plugging away with work and devouring knowledge, I wish I had told my younger self to chill out, quite literally. Now that I am a senior and a soon to be college freshman, I can now put things in perspective in a way my younger self would not have been able to fathom. I used to be worried about grades but it was not until I began to realize that there is more than a number to a human that I began to invest myself in subject areas I genuinely felt intrigued by, such as Political Science and English.

Looking forward, I am excited for the future. I will not forget the teachers, clubs, and people that have influenced me positively along the way in high school but I am also eager to embark on a new journey in my life. So I guess I’ll make my final words here simple: So long, JCHS!