The end of the trip my parents brought me on for senior year.

I’ve always struggled with goodbyes, closing a door of my past to turn into the unforeseen future. Goodbyes can be hard, but not this one.

I stand on this threshold of a new chapter of my life, excited of what the future will bring. I do not know if I will achieve all I plan to, but I am hopeful. I am not closing a door behind me, but running forward to throw open the doors of all that could be.

Going through Forest Hills Central has only been a brief stepping stone into the rest of the world, presenting me with many challenges and preparing me for the inevitable surprises of life ahead. I have grown here and witnessed my friends grow with me. We’ve all reached the end and as easy as it would be to try to remain with what’s familiar, I embrace the change with open arms.

No longer will I wake up dreading walking into college algebra. No longer will I be surrounded by a whirlwind of drama distracting me from my passions. No longer will I walk into class at seven forty-five to start the same day over and over again for months on end.

Now, I have the freedom to study what I’m passionate about and to cultivate those skills into something that can better our world. I’m free to explore what life has to offer and to capture as many valuable, beautiful memories as possible. I don’t want to have to look back on my life and observe it as one lived by the book. I hope to one day be able to reflect and smile back on all the adventures I’ve had, the places I’ve been, and the people I have shared those experiences with.

Life is too short to dwell on the past, and too short to fear for the future. One must learn, as I am trying to, to live in the present and treasure the moments I am given.

Even as I anticipate my future, I will miss the people I have come to know in my four years here. They will be the hardest goodbyes yet. I will miss seeing the ones who have made me laugh in the darkest of times, I’ll miss hanging out with them on weekends, and I’ll miss the tight web of comfort I’ve woven myself into.

I worry that in going off to college, that web will collapse, and I’ll lose those connections I worked so hard to get. But I also realize that moving apart will not break our web, but expand it and grow it into something new. Something more beautiful than anything I had ever imagined before.

So I thank you, FHC, for leading me into the world with fabulous people and a heart full of passion. Goodbye.