It has been 13 years since I have entered my school life. With ups and downs, it sure was an interesting ride.

Ever since Kindergarten I was seen as a mix of creative and unique, as I would draw in class at times. I went to Dana Elementary, a WVW elementary school in Forty Fort. I was mostly praised by my previous teachers, but sometimes I felt like I wasn’t acting as great as my talent.

As time went on and middle school came by, the students only cared about themselves. The teachers were more focused on discipline and were strict about most things. As much as I loved to draw my characters, nobody really cared and just went on with their days. Middle school was a rough time, but not just for me. Many students are going through emotional changes during 6th through 8th grade. I made it through, and I realized that we all have rough days, weeks, or even months. There is a teacher in middle school that I would like to recognize. Mr. Whalen is a history teacher at the middle school. I never had him, but we would talk during the lunch period. He had a personality that stuck with me, I always remember talking to him, despite not being in his class.

I did not attend in-person school during 9th grade due to the pandemic. Tenth grade was the “real start” of my high school life.

Many important events happened, such as me being inducted into the National Honor Society and finding my true self. I joined Advanced Journalism mid year as a 10th grader, because my art class was rough. This made me open up more as the only sophomore in Advanced Journalism. I got a chance to interview my teachers and work on the schools yearbook. 10th grade was an enjoyable year with some great teachers. Mr. Potera is both a biology and algebra teacher. I had him for biology and found out that I really enjoy the subject. It was a quiet class, but I made it fun for myself. Cell biology became an interest of mine after learning about the cell organelles and their functions. This inspired me so much, that I made a concept for a drawing/animation series called “Organelles.” I still talk to Mr. Potera and Mr. Tasco when they are in the halls about biology and just science in general. There were some other great teachers from 10th grade. Mr. Cunningham, a math teacher, has many common interests with me and had a very enjoyable class. Mrs. Orrson was a great help for me when I needed to take tests and work on assignments.

Since I had a good 10th grade year, I was excited for 11th grade, as a junior. There was a new journalism teacher instead of Mrs. Berrettini. Miss McNelis took over for my Advanced Journalism class. Since I had experience with that class, we both worked together to help each other with the yearbook and articles.

Eleventh grade had some of the best teachers for me. Mrs. Ratchford was my favorite learning support teacher, she likes Animal Crossing a game that is my biggest interest. She was such a great teacher who I talked to about our common interests. I had Mr. Hettes for chemistry, it was a very unique class. During my 12th grade year, I got to present to his biology class about my Organelles series. I really enjoyed my 11th grade year and felt even more satisfied with my school life.

“Finally, my senior year has arrived!” I was very excited to start my final year at WVW. I felt like I had the potential to make the year the best one.

So far, I’ve done many important things, like presenting to Mr. Hettes’ class, getting accepted to Kings College, continuing to work on the yearbook, and getting myself out there with my art.

I have to thank the high school for making me feel successful. Yes, there are many negatives about the school but I made it through the rough.

My advice for the future students is to try your best to get yourself out there with success. Don’t work too hard but always try your best. Be yourself, and always be passionate about your interests.