I fell in love once

Ella Peirce, Editor-in-Chief

May 20, 2026

Goodbye TCT, and thank you for four years of falling in love with writing, my surroundings, and my life.

I fell in love once.

On a sunny day in late August, running through unfamiliar hallways to an unfamiliar home.

I fell in love as the summer faded, as the leaves changed, and as the snow fell. I fell in love as the flowers bloomed, as the sun beamed, and as the trees swayed and the waves crashed on the shore.

Every day for the past four years, I fell in love again and again with writing. With The Central Trend.

I fell in love once, and now I love typewriters and my Notes app and an empty Google Doc. I love typing so fast that I can’t think straight, and the way my hands shake when I’m immersed in a story.

I fell in love once, and now I love leadership, teaching, helping, and guiding. I love watching my peers grow as writers before my eyes, and I love the camaraderie of this difficult, beautiful class.

I fell in love once, and now my love and I are drifting apart. Now, TCT will be something I reminisce on. Something I text Evelyn and Addie about in the middle of the night when they probably don’t want to hear from me. But it’s because I don’t want to forget.

And, selfishly, I don’t want to be forgotten. There are no more plaques, no way to commemorate my time here. I’m leaving behind pieces of myself, but they are intangible and forgotten by me already.

For all the fragments I’m leaving behind, I know the ones I’m taking with me are worth it.

Writing will be a part of me forever. It is ingrained in the way I think, the way I breathe. The way I see the world.

I’ve always been more of a sunrise person, and now the sun is setting; I’m ready to watch it unfold. I’m ready to be in awe of the colors taking over the vast blue sky that I have become ever so accustomed to.

I know I’m ready to watch it happen, and that’s the one thing I could never have predicted. I always thought I’d be a wreck right about now.

Without TCT, I don’t know that there would be a vibrant sunset. I think it would be a rather bland finale. But TCT truly taught me to see in color. To romanticize everything. To find the good, always.

I fell in love once, and I have been forever changed.

About the Contributor

Ella Peirce, Editor-in-Chief

Ella is a senior embarking on her fourth, and final, year of writing for The Central Trend. She is also entering her second year as Editor-in-Chief. For Ella, the past three years on staff have led to endless memories, and she is ready to make one last year of them. Additionally, Ella has been a competitive figure skater for as long as she can remember and has grown up on the ice. Her other interests include hanging out with her friends, rewatching her favorite sitcoms, listening to music, reorganizing her Pinterest boards, and spending time with her pet bunny. Ella has been looking forward to her senior year, and now that it’s here, she is ready, scared, sad, and excited. Favorite subject: English (of course) Favorite stories to write: Columns and reviews Favorite song: “You Are In Love” by Taylor Swift Current obsessions: Iced Gingerbread Chai, The Good Place (rewatch), and “Strawberry Wine” by Noah Kahan.