May has arrived, and so has the time to finish up homework, exams, and essays in earnest to ensure that I pass my classes and walk the stage for graduation. The four year trek through high school has been a journey of learning, new experiences, responsibilities, and freedoms. Looking back, the years seem to have flown by as I’ve grown and made new friends.

But the journey has definitely had its challenges. Difficult classes, hard practices, and tedious homework has tested my resolve and forced me to work harder. Meeting deadlines and being responsible for my grades calls for personal accountability as well. Those duties helped me prepare for college and the real world, and the addition of a fast food job pushes the need for responsibility even further.  Having a job means I need to forfeit a chunk of each paycheck for bills like car insurance and a phone bill.

Aided by my trusty pickup handed down to me by my dad, my busy senior year has been packed with work, appointments, college preparations, homework, and other obligations. Along with a bigger workload and more responsibilities, comes new freedoms, including a midnight curfew, less supervision, and increased privileges. Three pieces of advice I have for surviving high school are:

• Get involved: join sports or activities and go to school events
• Be proactive and stay on top of homework
• Find a good group of friends that are supportive and you can rely on

With that being said, just have some fun with it! This is your last chance to be a kid so don’t focus on growing up too fast. These four years are defining ones that will develop your character and maturity, and are the foundation for becoming an adult, so use the time to work hard and create lifelong friends and memories.

I, along with the rest of the class of 2018, bid Great Bend High School farewell this spring, after which I will embark on the next chapter of learning at Fort Hays State University. After a summer of working and lifeguarding, I will be a freshman in a new community with amazing opportunities and unknown things waiting to happen, so I’m looking forward to it!