I still remember receiving my school email and seeing the 25 at the end of my name and thinking “2025 that is so far away, I can’t even imagine that.” I still remember closing my chromebook on the last online class of seventh grade not being able to imagine experiencing school with my friends and without masks.  I still remember walking to my buddy Justin’s house to go freshman orientation, feeling so overwhelmed and out of place in this new big school.  Now, I sit here in Journalism reflecting on the four years I’ve spent inside this building and to break it all down is very hard.  Everyone always talks about how high school flies by, and that could not be more true.  Looking back on high school as an entirety is all one big blur, thinking back to the time where I was a small freshman with braces and a puffy afro seems just so distant, not only because of the time but the growth I’ve made since that. 

I would say that much of my identity now is shaped by the time I spend in the gym. It is by far my biggest hobby and has impacted my life in so many positive ways, but this has not always been the case. Coming into high school, I was fresh off the Covid time period of my life, which we all know for most people was not the most productive time to be alive.  During Covid, my main hobbies consisted of sleeping and playing video games, and by the time I walked through the front doors for my first day of freshman year, I was nowhere close to where I wanted to be mentally or physically.  Studying always felt like a drag and I had no productive habits. This carried on until sophomore year, where I decided I needed to make a change and implement a real routine that challenged me and kept me in line, and in turn made me more productive and confident. I will also never forget all of the time I spent with my friends at the gym. Whether it was working out, playing basketball, or getting food, it truly was one of the best parts of high school (Rest in Peace BSC).

From a purely academic standpoint, at WHS I was not the greatest. An impressive amount of times, I would blow off doing homework or studying for a night out with friends, no matter how many times that would backfire on me.  Even though it is funny to write this in a paper for school, I can’t say I regret those decisions. The friends I’ve kept here in WHS are my favorite people to see, and people I always knew I could count on for anything. Though I’m excited to move onto the next step in my life, it is bittersweet that I won’t be able to see these people on a regular basis. For that, I am also glad that I made lasting friendships with people that I feel like are worth keeping around, and I am grateful for all the memories I’ve shared with my high school friends. 

Lastly, I can’t end this testimonial without talking about my experience in the Journalism program. I started journalism sophomore year, not because I had a passion for writing (as you can probably tell if you have read this far), but because I wanted to do Full Court Press. This podcast was one of the most fun things that I have had the pleasure to be a part of in high school, whether it was arguing with my buddies or trying to see if I could subtly sneak in something that the Westborough TV staff wouldn’t edit out (Sorry guys). I have to give a huge shoutout to my Full Court Press crew, Jared, Justin, Jack, Alec, and Brady for making the podcast so much fun to be a part of, and I have to give a shoutout to Mr. Martin for even getting me in the class to begin with. Even though the workload for journalism was big, I will never forget all the projects I was able to put together with my friends that I was genuinely proud of. 

Now as I look to my future studying Sports Marketing and Management in Indiana, it has a bittersweet feeling to it as I am excited for the unknown of the future, but sad to leave the familiar that I like behind. 

Finally, my advice to the underclassmen reading this is to get out of your comfort zone, talk to people you haven’t before, and never be afraid to have a little fun.