Last night was one of the first times I have really felt like a senior. It hit me when I found myself wearing “Ithaca College” on my t-shirt at my last ever competition rehearsal. It was a bittersweet night filled with all kinds of emotions; feeling excited but also sad to dance at my last competition. I walked out of rehearsal last night with balloons and a poster filled with some of my favorite dance memories. I still find it hard to believe that this year I wasn’t the one making the senior posters, instead I received a poster of my own.

Throughout high school the one consistent thing in my life was always dance. No matter what happened at school or in my personal life, I still had dance every night. Even though it was my biggest challenge at times, dance was still there and still a place I could find comfort. No matter what was going on I always had a team of people to turn to, which was an incredible feeling that I am not yet ready to give up. 

My high school experience was overall good. I came into my freshman year a very shy person, scared to show my personality and branch out. Throughout high school, I have consistently struggled to break out of my comfort zone. Even with my reserved personality I am glad to say that I have a few close friends, whom I am beyond grateful for, as well as people in every class that I can talk to and make connections with. 

All throughout my life I have been quiet, especially in school. I would do anything to not participate in classes or be called on. Journalism forced me to do all of the things that made me uncomfortable. Although I hated that I had to speak and be on camera, I just couldn’t drop the class for some reason. Mrs. Stoker created a classroom environment that allowed all of us to work on whatever we wanted, while also pushing us to participate in broadcasts and articles. Before taking journalism, I never expected myself to be on camera for the whole school to see. Although it made me uncomfortable to be on camera, Mrs. Stoker never gave up on me and helped me become more comfortable in front of the camera rather than behind the scenes. 

When Mrs. Stoker left, she was replaced by Miss Conrad who has become one of my favorite teachers and someone I have learned so much from. As I leave high school I have realized that my biggest piece of advice for underclassmen is to find a class that you can take throughout high school. For me that class was journalism. Finding a class that I could continue to be a part of helped me find a community I enjoyed and a class that I looked forward to everyday. Leaving Miss Conrad’s classroom will be one of the hardest goodbyes. Both Mrs. Stoker and Miss Conrad have played large roles in my life and impacted me as both a student and person. 

Throughout my high school career, dance and journalism have made the biggest impacts on me because they both pushed me out of my comfort zone in different ways. I can absolutely say that my self confidence comes from my time as a dancer as well as from journalism class and I will always be grateful for those experiences. 

Although it will be incredibly hard to leave Westborough, I am excited for college and new experiences. I want to say thank you to my parents, Mrs. Stoker and Miss Conrad, my dance team and to my journalism class. It is comforting to know that I am leaving high school with memories I will cherish forever. 

So for the last time, this is Kira Meehan signing off!