I know it sounds cliche, but high school is really like a rollercoaster. But, I would challenge that to say that it’s more like one of those run-down carnival rides that still goes up and down but also throws you around any which way. One thing about those carnival rides though, is that when you look back on the memory of it, it doesn’t seem as bad as it felt when you were experiencing it. Kinda like high school.

On the first day of one of the first classes I had at the Roc my freshman year, I remember noticing a girl that seemed kinda smart but also a real kiss-up. I definitely did not like her then, but now she is one of my closest friends. We always joke about how back then we were academically competitive with each other and weren’t very fond of each other, but things have certainly changed.

My freshman and the beginning of sophomore years were defined by who I was friends with. From middle school, I walked into Rochester with a crop of friends that were tight-knit with each other, and I seemed to be one of the few odd ones out. I have always had a strong personality, and I have never afraid to share my opinions. This sometimes didn’t sit well with that group of friends. Midway through my sophomore year, I found myself sitting alone at lunch tables and walking to my classes by myself.

Throughout this time, the one person that supported and cared for me, and who would come sit with me during those lonely lunch days, is the one person I consider my best friend from high school. And for all of those days sophomore year, and all of the other days since then that he has been there for me, I’d like to thank him. I won’t mention his name here but he knows who he is.

My junior year was defined by the things I was a part of. Anyone who knows me knows I’m very involved: all types of band, lacrosse, journalism, NHS, the list goes on. I had sets of friends for each activity, ones that I felt like I was only close with in certain settings. I had my band friends, my Talon friends, and my lacrosse friends. I was the section leader and the sports editor and the varsity athlete. I often found myself struggling to pick one way or the other or decide what was most important to me. I didn’t know which set of friends were the “real” ones. At the time, this conflict really stressed me out and I struggled to find my place.

My senior year, I’ve decided, is undefined. I have finally decided that the things and the people around me don’t make me who I am. I’m still a little unsure of who that person is at times, but I know that my titles like “Editor-in-Chief” and “Section Leader,” while they elicit pride, don’t define who I am. My friends don’t define who I am. I have gone through this final year with the attitude I wish I had from the first day of my time at the Roc: one of positivity, kindness, and a lot more carefree.