As the sun beats down on my skin and the metronome ticks in my ear, the sound growing louder by each tick– tick tick, TICK TICK. It was becoming harder to lift my foot up and march in a fluid manner, however I fought through it and marched on.

My first peek at high school was freshman band camp. The first memory I had was being intimidated by the senior members and fearing deep down that the myth of dropping freshmen over the senior bridge was true; I tried to stay out of their way as much as possible. It was somewhat easy since they refrained from talking to freshmen as well. Since that band camp, I was a bit lost and felt a bit left out. Sure, I had my friends from middle school but I also had a couple friends from band and I was not sure how to be the friend for both friend groups.

Looking back at freshman year, I can admit I have made some reckless mistakes that I would not have done if I were a bit more mature. However, the best decision I made was joining Business Professionals of America (BPA) as it paved the way for a great high school experience. I was fortunate to advance to the state competition, which definitely forced me to get out of my comfort zone as I met new people. Towards the end of the year, I definitely felt less lost and more aware of my surroundings as I met new people and found new friends.

As sophomore year approached, I learned how to drive and wished I would turn 16 already, however I still had to wait a year. As my passion for writing grew, I decided to quit band and join the newspaper, where I felt the same way as I felt when I was in band; I feared the seniors. Nonetheless, I loved it so much more than band. It was a club where I could express myself in my favorite way. Through my years on The Sidekick, sophomore year was definitely one of my favorite years as I was still learning how to write and I was just a newbie.

However, the second semester of sophomore year took a big turn. I met new classmates through BPA, who are now some of my best friends. A big milestone that year has to be BPA nationals in Indianapolis. There were less that ten students on the trip, which let us explore the city more and enjoy our time away from school and AP exams. Sophomore year was the best for me as I had the greatest teachers I could ever ask for as well as make new and lasting friendships.

Junior year was a difficult year physically as it was the year that counted most. I took many AP classes and prepared for my SAT and ACT exams as I also continued my high school career in journalism. If there is one regret I have in high school it is that I did not work as hard as I did, especially during junior year. However, I cannot say I regret the fun I had. From being a part of a community in newspaper to making BPA nationals again with my team, I honestly had a wonderful experience junior year. Of course, I did go through the typical high school friend drama, but in the end, junior year was very rewarding.

Senior year was probably the biggest year of high school as so much happened to me during that time. At the beginning of the year, I broke my friendship with my best friend for over a decade. After going through so much with her, I decided I could not handle some of the emotional distress she would make me go through.

During this time, I was thankful for my friends for being there when I needed them. Not long after, I found out that my sophomore chemistry teacher, Bob White, passed away. Mr. White always managed to make me smile with his jokes and humor so it was hard for me to believe that he was gone. Mr. White will always be a teacher I will never forget.

After first semester of senior year was over, I was finally free; I did not have to worry too much about school and I had more time to hang out with friends. I definitely gained so many more friends senior year, who have been a primary support system for me. I had the chance to participate in my first 5K run, discover Dallas in depth, go to my friends’ houses for movie marathons, spend more time at the gym and of course I cannot forget my trip to the BPA state competition in Corpus Christi. As it was my first time in Corpus, I had the chance to discover the city and spend most of my time on the beach. However, it was not all fun and smiles during my time there.

As BPA competition season rounded, my team and I began preparing as much as we could. As we reached the state competition, I can honestly say I took the competition for granted and did not work as hard as I assumed we would make nationals since we have made it for the past two years. However, I was proven wrong. During the awards ceremony, we ended up making fifth place and did not make nationals as the top two teams advance. This was probably the first time I truly felt disappointed during my senior year as I should not have taken the competition for granted. Nonetheless, my team and I took this loss in a positive way as it will give other students the same opportunity we got when we were sophomores and juniors.

As I was preparing for prom, I got other unfortunate news; my sophomore English teacher Amy Wilkinson passed away. I was devastated and in shock; Mrs. Wilkinson taught me the way to write, analyze and read. How was this possible? How were we supposed to celebrate a fun event when a dynamic and motivated teacher passes away?

But in the end, we all managed to step away from reality for one night and enjoy it. Prom was better than what I imagined; all my friends were with me to celebrate and I had a great date to enjoy the event with. Although I could barely walk in my heels at the end of the night, it ended on a great note since it was spent with friends, food and horror movies.
Looking back at these past four years, I have to say that nothing went as planned. From losing friendships to losing teachers, these years have been a roller coaster. If there was one thing I learned from all of this and will take with me to college it is that you should not be afraid. There were many times I was afraid during high school, especially transitioning from band to The Sidekick; I was afraid what the band directors thought of me, I was afraid to start over in a new environment. I was afraid to break a friendship that was only hurting me. However, once I got over my fear, I did not regret it; I was happy and satisfied that I did something that would help myself.