Graduation is fast approaching, which means it’s time to reflect on my past four years at Westborough High School and condense it all into a few paragraphs. It’s a daunting task for sure: I mean, how does someone take all their experiences, memories, victories and failures, the good and the bad, and make it cohesive? I will certainly try my best.

I always imagined high school like something out of a Disney XD TV show. There was always a bully picking on some kid for lunch money, a group of popular kids that everyone feared as they walked through the hall, etc., etc. When I finally entered WHS in 2021, I began to realize just how wrong that idea was. Sure, people were split up into their friend groups and cliques, but overall, people were more together than I had ever thought possible. Throughout this past year especially, I feel as though the walls between the class of 2025 have fallen away, allowing me to make connections I never thought I could. 

Many kids enter high school with the expectation that they need to fit into a specific friend group and archetype, and how that is everything they can be. My experience throughout high school couldn’t have been more different. As a freshman, I was set on joining the swim team, continuing my schedule with multiple gym classes a week, and playing the drums throughout my four years. I was dedicated to being an athlete and playing an instrument; as I look back on that mindset, I can see how much has changed.

This is not to say that being an athlete and playing a musical instrument is a negative thing. It’s just that, overtime, I found myself trying out different things that have completely altered my identity as a student. At the end of freshman year, I wanted to try and run for Class President, which was a step outside my comfort zone. I didn’t make the swim team that year, and decided to turn my attention elsewhere. In addition, I stopped playing the drums around that time as well. I no longer felt a lot of joy in it, so I stopped.

Sophomore year was when I spent a lot of time looking for what made me passionate. I’ll be honest and say that the beginning of the school year was tough for me, as I struggled to find activities that I felt fulfilled by. It was then that I joined a few clubs, including joining the Lobby Observer and taking my first Journalism class. Also, in Spring of Sophomore year, Ms. Perryman convinced me to join Centerstage, the WHS theater company. By the beginning of Junior year, my extracurricular activities looked nothing like how I thought they would be; but, I was a lot happier. In having the courage to try new things and break away from what I was comfortable with and what I thought I “had” to be, I found a lot more enjoyment in school.

I’m grateful for those who have supported me throughout high school. Whether it be my teachers (thank you Ms. Perryman for getting me into Centerstage), my friends or my family who have stuck by my side the last four years, I couldn’t have made it without each and every one of them. Without their assistance, I wouldn’t be a part of any of my current extracurriculars, or have all the connections and relationships today that will last me a lifetime. My greatest memory from high school will not be any specific class, event or moment over my time here. It will be all the people who made my experience what it was. Now a Senior, I have been a part of many clubs, extracurriculars, leadership positions, and more. If my freshman self could see where I am now, I think the first thing he would say is “why did you do all that? I never thought I’d do that”. The second, though, would be “I’m glad you’re happy”.