How does one begin to sum up the most pivotal four years of their young life? Well, I do not know, but I certainly will try.
I used to think my high school experience was defined by three people. Well, maybe not them, but certainly the lessons they taught me.
At the time, these friendships felt like the most important things in the world to me (quite typical for a high schooler, I know). But nothing lasts forever.
Even though these friendships did not withstand the test of time, I owe them all a debt of gratitude for making me the person I am today.
My senior year has been a lackluster one, but that is what I wanted. Going in I felt so ready to graduate, wishing that some magical force had made it so the year prior rather than spend another second in high school. I had simply outgrown it.
I’d be lying if I said that 10 months later I feel any different. If anything, that voice has only grown stronger, and while it is natural to feel that way mere weeks from true adulthood, I think it signifies something bigger about myself.
These past few months I have felt like a bird in a cage, awaiting the day the door opens and I can fly away to my now-burnt orange escape. I have passed the time fantasizing about the experiences I want to have, the kind of person I want to be and, of course, the British accent I hope to someday acquire.
However, this boredom has made me reflective, and one of the things preoccupying a good amount of my thoughts has been my time in The Sidekick.
Aside from those friendships, one of the biggest impacts on me was made by this program. It has left an indelible mark. It has been the fulfillment of something I had been working towards since I was 11 years old. It revolutionized me and taught me lessons that will last a lifetime.
These past three years, The Sidekick has been my constant, a source of stability during the instability that is high school. It has seen me on my bedroom floor at 11 p.m. pecking out a story while listening to an Oprah interview, working on nearly 20 stories at the same time and getting into a woman’s car for an interview late at night (not the smartest choice, I know, Mr. Wofford) that birthed one of my favorite ledes.
We often talk about telling stories that make you feel something. Well, this program has made me feel every emotion under the sun, from elation to despair to feelings that I did not even know existed. But that is the mark of an experience worth having, one that teaches you about life and changes you as a person.
My mother and I often ask ourselves if joining The Sidekick instead of remaining on the health science pathway was worth it. The answer we unequivocally come to is yes. Until my last days I will owe a debt of gratitude to this program, its staff and, above all, its adviser. Without them I would never have grown the wings I need to fly when that door does open, and for whatever comes after that. So, for that, I say thank you.
As I sit here getting teary-eyed and nostalgic, I am reminded of the phrase “this too shall pass.” I realize it has become the ultimate lesson I have learned. No matter what you go through, not just in these four years, but in your lifetime, remember this: nothing lasts forever, and it too shall pass.
Three years and 181 posts later, I bid you adieu, dear reader.
For the last time, this is The Sidekick’s editorial page editor Nyah Rama, logging off. Thanks for following along, Coppell.
Follow Nyah (@nyah_rama) and @CHSCampusNews on X.
