My 10-year-old self had a very specific image of what high school would be like. I had heard of this fascinating and distant location from my older brothers, who moaned and groaned over their mountains and mountains of homework. What my nerdy, half-baked ten-year-old brain was expecting was lots of kids hunched over desks, scribbling away at their notebooks and focusing on only learning. 

Don’t get me wrong, there is lots of frantic scribbling in high school, but the whole “You are here to LEARN!!!” that teachers or parents sometimes try to convince us of is a lie. Academics are only half of it (or is it a third? Maybe a quarter?). The true reason high school even exists is because at one point, we need to learn how to learn on our own. Before actual life comes with its real consequences, we need to be in an overwhelming, stressful, intense environment and learn how to cope with the chaos of life.

And the Class of 2024 got their money’s worth! We entered in COVID and learned to adapt to online school and get really good at playing Tetris during class lectures. Then, we all discovered the awesomeness that is anxiety and stress, which entered our lives with the same grace as the government releasing the FAFSA. THEN, our entire sports complex was scrapped and replaced with a frugal 7.5 million dollar stadium and complementary turf fields, plus an amphitheater perfect for Shakespeare in the park (You are welcome, Mr. Alera!). 

Truly, our class has been through the wringer over these past four years, yet with great adversity comes even greater growth. Not only can we navigate a Zoom call like a pro, the Class of 2024 has learned how to deal with real life problems and come out on top. We are a class of resilient, adventurous and creative individuals who can face any problem with one hand tied behind our backs. 

Interview for a prospective job? No problem, I made it through Mr. Barry’s APUSH class; I can handle anything. No Wi-fi in college? No worries, we never had Wifi in high school! Feeling hungry? Well, we survived until third lunch, so hunger doesn’t even register anymore. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger; we are all living proof of that. 

So for anyone worried about the future, look at our past. We got this!