Over the past four years, I’ve complained about school a lot. During busy weeks at the end of a semester and long nights ahead of an exam, I have wished that I could fast-forward to graduation and just be done.
But in the last few weeks, I’ve come to realize how much I value and cherish my experience at RM, and how bittersweet it will feel when I finally cross the stage and sign off. It truly feels like four years–that in the moment seemed to drag endlessly–have passed in the blink of an eye, and now, I wish I could rewind. The truth is that I would not be the person that I am today without everything (good and bad) that RM gave me.
One of those things is undoubtedly my friends. They are some of the most genuine, kind, intelligent, and funny people I have ever met and I know these bonds will last a lifetime. I feel so thankful to be surrounded by people that make me my favorite version of myself.
There are also so many memories that I can look back on and smile at, particularly the everyday activities that shaped my time here: the countless study sessions spent gossiping, the weekly (at times daily) lunch outings to Wintergreen, the Gold Rush football games and the numerous traditions that made up senior year.
Finally, there is my time on The Tide, which spans all four years and is an integral part of my high school experience. As a freshman, I came to The Tide’s interest meeting not knowing anything about school newspapers, but eager to see if there was a way I could get involved. As a video contributor, I slowly began to learn my way, engaging with the RM community from behind the camera. In sophomore year, I graduated to an editor, and took on the dual tasks of managing both the TidePod and video sections. I saw firsthand how I could not only lead a team of contributors, but also use the platform to amplify both my voice and the voices of others–something I continued into my junior year. And then, in senior year, I had the opportunity to be Editor-in-Chief, the perfect culmination to my work on The Tide. This year has been my favorite by far, and I have loved watching all the contributors and editors gain the same love and appreciation that I have for our paper. The Tide brought me closer to the RM community, and it’s something that I will always be incredibly grateful for.
There’s one quote that I feel summarizes everything I want to say; in the words of Winnie the Pooh: “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” I am so much more sad to leave RM than I ever could have anticipated, but behind all of that is immense gratitude for all the lessons I have learned, people I have met and memories I have made.
If you would like to voice your opinion on an issue you feel is relevant to our community, please do so here. Anyone is able and welcome to submit a Letter to the Editor, regardless of journalistic experience or writing skills. Submissions may be published either online or in a print issue.
