I’m really going to miss this place. I love Westborough. I’ve lived in this town my entire life, and I couldn’t have asked for a better place to grow up. I was always told high school goes by fast, but until you actually experience it, you don’t realize it. You get caught up in the little things, not realizing that 99% of the time, they do NOT matter. Life is too short to live with regrets, and I can assure you that when you look back on high school, you’d pay anything to go back. Anything to crack a joke at the lunch table or to wave to your friends in the hallways.
It wouldn’t be right for me to reflect on Westborough High School without highlighting my two biggest extracurriculars: Student Council and Varsity Basketball.
In 8th grade, I ran for Student Council, thinking nothing of it, and not realizing the massive impact that it would have on me. I am beyond thankful for my experience on Student Council these past four years, and it makes me sad to think that my time on council has officially run out. Not only have I helped run events like Homecoming and Summer Music Festival, but I’ve also helped volunteer in our community through initiatives like leaf raking, Earth Day trash cleanups, or simply by helping run concessions at high school sporting events. More than anything else, though, Student Council has become a family, a group of people who appreciate my sense of humor, who I can trust, and who I genuinely love to talk to. As much as I know I’m going to miss being on Stuco, I hope to follow Dr. Seuss’s advice: “Don’t be sad that it’s over, be happy that it happened!”
While I may have joined Student Council on a whim, my expectations for high school basketball couldn’t have been more different. I first picked up a ball at five years old, and immediately fell in love with the game. I idolized Celtics players like Isaiah Thomas and Avery Bradley, and like every other kid, I dreamed of being in the NBA someday. As an incoming freshman, I hoped to be an important part of the Varsity basketball team, becoming as much of an inspiration to younger players as other Rangers once were to me.
My high school basketball career was full of ups and downs, and to be completely honest, I wasn’t super satisfied with my experience. I often felt overlooked and unrecognized, and as a result, I actually decided to play Rec basketball instead of Varsity my senior year. Considering the hours of dedication I put into basketball, this was an extremely hard decision for me to make, but I am very proud of myself for doing what I felt was best, regardless of how other people felt. Despite not becoming the varsity star I once envisioned, I couldn’t have asked for a better senior season filled with endless amounts of fun and long-lasting memories with my friends. On top of that, I was named the Rec basketball MVP, and was proud to finally get a chance to showcase my abilities on the court. More importantly, though, I was still able to help be a role model for younger players, proving to myself that success isn’t just measured through a title.
I decided to take journalism in my sophomore year of high school, and that was one of the best decisions I ever made. Journalism has allowed me to freely express my opinions by writing about what I want to write about, and not just what my English teachers tell me to write about. I have also had the great pleasure of creating broadcasts with some of my best friends, while making memories that will last a lifetime. From the school tour, to the BSC review, to of course Full Court Press with my brothers. Jared, Jordan, Jack, Alec, and Brady…I’m gonna miss you guys (even though you have some questionable takes). I would also like to thank Tim and Aidan for helping us with all of our edits, because our broadcasts wouldn’t be the same without you guys. To Mrs. Henderson, thank you for always helping me out, even when that means responding to my texts at 10 PM, and of course, for greeting us with munchkins every time we come to Westborough TV. And to Ms. Conrad, thank you for appreciating my sense of humor, for dealing with my shenanigans, and for keeping me on task as much as possible (even if that meant not letting me visit Mrs. Titus’s class). I will miss all of you guys.
Finally, thank you to my parents for being my number one supporters and for always being there for me. And to my brother, Alex, I don’t know if I would’ve passed my science classes without you, so thank you!
This coming fall, I plan on attending the University of Delaware to study business. The best way for me to describe my feeling on leaving for college is one word: bittersweet. I’m definitely sad to leave, but I’m super excited for what is next. Roll Blue Hens!
To any underclassman reading this, live in the moment. Enjoy every day of high school, because it all goes by so fast. Find a balance between working hard and spending time on things you enjoy. Do what is best for yourself, not anyone else. Don’t worry about what other people think of you. Find friends who will be there for you when you need them the most. Get involved in different activities. Meet new people. Step out of your comfort zone. Take risks. Smile. Laugh. Have fun. Make memories. And, always remember, “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present.” Thanks for everything, Westborough!
