In recent weeks, the reality that I am actually going to leave Westminster after this year has been setting in. As obvious as that concepts sounds, the moment of sudden attack by this feeling is a phenomenon that many seniors can relate to, especially those who, like me, have already decided where they are going to be next year. I’m starting to think about the little things; I’m going to have to make new friends in a new environment for the first time since I was five, and that is actually somewhat intimidating. I’ve been starting to chip away at that daunting task through little interactions through the Kenyon Class of 2016 Facebook page. Many of my future classmates have been uploading videos where they introduce themselves to the group, and I decided to make one as well, something that was actually pretty out of my comfort zone, but that is something that I am going to have to get used to. Westminster has been my home away from home, and I know this feeling is not shared by all, but I feel very comfortable on the campus. That little safety blanket is not going to exist next year, and this video is just the first step out of my comfort zone and into a new school.

But I digress, when I first realized that the end was already near and fast approaching, I started to think about all of the things I want to do before our last day of class. I became conscious that every day was something that I needed to take advantage of, because, for the first time in thirteen years, I don’t have another February 22 or 23 or 24 where I’ll be attending the Westminster Schools. But how to take advantage of what I have left? That is the question that I am still trying to answer.

When I started trying to answer this question, I first decided that this ending was an occasion to celebrate what we have left together, and not to mourn what will be left behind. Instead of spending time focusing on the things that I will never have a chance to do for the first time or never get to do again, I decided to celebrate the things that I have done and appreciate what I still can do in the time I have left.

I feel like the main thing I want to appreciate is the people around me. All of my friends will never be together in the same way again, and I want to take advantage of every moment. But, in the last few weeks, I have realized that even after thirteen years, there is still time to make new friends and get close to new people. That is something that I cannot urge you enough to try. You’ll never realize how much you have in common with someone if you never try and strike up a new conversation with them. The people all around us are amazing, and I urge you to strike up new conversations with new people and try to understand the community that is all around us.

Besides my friends, both old and new, I simply want to try and understand my place as a senior in high school. I understand that while I have learned a lot, there is so much left for me to learn, so much to explore in my remaining months. I want to maintain that drive towards knowledge, not so much in the classroom, but more so in the other aspects of my life. I want to get to know the city that I have spent the first eighteen years of my life in. I want to explore the places I have never been in the time I have left. I feel like you realize all that you have not had the chance to do right at the end, but I have come to realize that while I am so excited for the next section of my life, there is so much I want to do while I’m still here. There is still so much to find.