By Ellenore Holbrook — Looking back, I cannot tell you what I did in the past four years. It starts to blur together after so long but I can say I will miss it. Will I miss the people who stop in the hall to talk or yell for no real reason? No, I am glad to leave them behind.

But the important people, like my teachers, my friends, the people in The Gay Straight Alliance and News Staff is what I cannot bear to leave behind. Even now I stare at this page trying to think of what to say and my mind goes blank.

“MACKENZIE WAS THE BEST PART PROBZ YEAHHHHHH,” Mackenzie said. That is the perfect example of why I love all of my friends and why they made high school so much better.

I guess this is part of my advice to any underclassmen: find good friends who actually care about you and stick with them. They are the ones that will bring you soup and make you laugh when life turns to hell.

Do not be afraid to try something new. I am beyond lucky to have the privileges and opportunities I received here in the past four years. I was able to make a successful Gay Straight Alliance here and that is something any other student can do. Take advantage of your full potential and run with it. Being passionate about what you do is more important than stressing over grades. Also, sleep; whenever you can.

Finally, work on your patience, tolerance and kindness. Those are qualities I have tried to develop over time and it is not easy but they are important. Those are the qualities that will get you places in life.
I am out of things to say again.

Well thank you. Thank you to all of my teachers who pushed me to my fullest potential even when I whined. Thank you to my friends who laugh at my terrible jokes and pick me up when I fall. Thank you to my family because even with heart attacks and antagonistic personalities, you supported me through the stress. And thank you to the halls of all of the Oaks for making me who I am today. The future is terrifying but we can do it.

[Updated Aug. 7, 2017: This article has been reformatted for consistency.]