All anyone really wants is to belong.
People just want to feel included, to experience a connection with other people.
I think this is why in the movies, highschool is either portrayed as the best times of your life, or the worst.
When you find that connection, that community where you can be yourself, highschool’s great.
But for those struggling to find a place where they fit, high school can be isolating, lonely and in general just a terrible place to be.
I spent a lot of time searching for my communities at Souderton. During my freshman year, I jumped right in. I joined clubs and sports teams and took a variety of classes to see what I liked.
But it took time to find my people, to find my happy place at the high school.
There were plenty of struggles and awkward moments; it is high school after all.
We all make that painful transition from pre-teen, to teen, to adult; a transition period filled with gangly limbs, braces and poorly applied makeup is always difficult, even for the most outwardly breezy among us.
But eventually, I did, and for that, I’m grateful.
I’m grateful for my teammates on the cross country team, my fellow writers on The Arrowhead and all the countless others who have been a part of my happy place here at Souderton over the years.
I’ve learned a lot in my time here.
Some things will be more valuable than others because, I’m sorry, but no matter mwhat my math teachers have told me, there is simply no way that solving logarithmic equations will be applicable in the real world.
However, the leadership, communication and social skills I’ve gained will be sure to help me out down the road.
In a few short months, most of us seniors will be picking up our lives here in Souderton and moving away for school in the fall, where we will begin the whole cycle again of trying to find our place in a big school.
We will begin shaping the rest of our lives.
We will be making decisions about careers, living situations, relationships and so many more seemingly adult things.
It may seem daunting. I know that as an eighth grader about to transition into high school, I was afraid.
Mostly of getting lost in a new school, but the idea of joining an entirely new group of people was scary and that was just a transition a couple of miles down the road.
Change can be scary, but it is necessary. So as we embark on the next chapter of our lives, whatever that may look like, we must use what we have learned thus far to help us along the way.
I didn’t think that I would be this sentimental nearing graduation. I really didn’t. It’s honestly a little embarrassing. But I can’t help but think of all the friends and all the memories I’ve made here and just wish I had a little more time to savor every moment before it’s gone.
Thank you Souderton for the million little moments that I will forever hold dear and for the people who have made up my happy place.