Wow.

I can’t believe my high school journey is coming to an end. Everyone says it flies by and I never believed them before, but I blinked and it was over. I can’t exactly say I would want to do it again if given the chance, but I wouldn’t trade the last four years for the world. I have learned to many valuable life lessons that I will carry with me forever.

Freshman year was the toughest for me. I was constantly worried about fitting in and being friends with everyone while keeping up a record of perfect attendance. I was way too uptight and took everything too seriously.

Things came a little easier sophomore year. I made varsity soccer and began to find my true friends. I became a mentor for the freshman, partly because I heard it was a good “resume builder” … whatever that meant. Although Rochester wasn’t like High School Susical and our mascot wasn’t a Wildcat, I didn’t mind being a Falcon.

Before I knew it junior year arrived. The ACT was what made me realize that college was right around the corner. As a freshman, reading what I believed to be the prestigious monthly paper was one of my favorite things to do. During my junior year, I joined The Talon and month by month my passion for writing grew. Writing became an outlet for my thoughts and a channel for my emotions. I also joined National Honor Society and Spanish National Honor Society. Through these extracurricular activities, I was able to help those in need.

Senior year is now here and I am doing everything I possibly can to prepare myself for a successful future. Whether it be meeting people for the first time or visiting old relatives, they always ask the same questions. What is your GPA? Where are you going to college? What do you want to study? When I was little I was commonly asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, and I always had an answer. I’ve wanted to be a marine biologist, a doctor and even a lawyer. You name it and I’m sure it was my dream job for at least a day or so.

Now that I am at the part of my life where I must seriously answer these questions they become harder and harder. And every time someone asks what I want to do with my life I am forced to think deeper and deeper. After applying to several colleges, I have decided to attend Hope College in the fall. My two top careers are in education or business, but who knows, those could change next week.

Some of my classmates have answered these questions more thoroughly and some haven’t answered them at all. Wherever you’re at in life, it is okay. I am a strong believer everything is going to fall into place and I can’t wait to see where I’m at 10 years down the road. The rest is still unwritten.