All of the cliches I have been brushing off the last few years are all coming to fruition. The last four years of my life have gone by in a flash, and I am down to one more week in this building. It is weird and surreal to think that I will not return in the fall like I have the past seven years. While it is certainly exciting to move on to my next chapter and complete my high school career, the feeling is bittersweet.

I will forever be grateful for the many great memories and relationships I have made throughout my years here at Corry. Although some days the last thing I wanted to do was wake up at 7:00 AM and go to AP Government, it was worth it to show up and see my friends each day. It is going to be weird that I won’t see them five days out of every week moving forward. Not only will I not see my friends every day, but there will be some people that I have spent my days with for the last seven years that I may never see again. We all have opportunity ahead of us, and I am excited to see what the future has in store. I send the best of luck to all my classmates in their future endeavors!

I would not have made it to this point without my teachers, administrators, and counselors. Just like anybody else, I of course have my favorites, but I want to thank each and every member of the faculty that has been apart of my journey. I have been lucky enough to have had a lot of great teachers throughout my years here at Corry. My advice for underclassmen would be to treat your teachers with respect. Being disrespectful toward your superiors will only make things harder on yourself. Building a relationship with your teachers, administrators, and counselors will make your life so much easier. It is a great thing to have people who you can go to for help as you advance through high school.

Another piece of advice I would offer to underclassmen would be to start your high school career off strong. All four years of your high school career go on your transcript and impact your future opportunities. A strong foundation gives you such an advantage moving forward. Take advantage of the easier classes when you can because it will get harder. Also take advantage of dual enrollment opportunities for your own financial benefit. I would also advise you to really cherish your time playing sports, seeing your friends every day, or whatever else makes you happy because it does go by quickly. Get involved in a lot of different things and find what you like. And by the way, “senioritis” is very real, so do yourself a favor and schedule the last semester of your senior year accordingly.

It has been a great seven years, but my time is up, so goodbye and thank you to Corry Area High School.