In two weeks, I will be walking across the stage at graduation. As one would expect, I am both nervous and excited for what’s to come. Even though my years at Central are coming to an end, I realize my journey to new things is just beginning. I plan on attending the College of Arts and Sciences at Tennessee Tech University in the fall to study biology. I’m not sure where the future is going to take me, but I wouldn’t be where I am today without the support of my classmates and faculty here within the Central Digest and all around the Central community. 

My freshman year was the only fully “normal” school year the class of 2022 was able to have. If I’m being honest, I don’t remember much of my freshman year. Adjusting to high school was scary, and it taught me a lot about the kind of person I wanted to be. Sophomore year was cut short in March 2020 when COVID-19 hit. The fall and winter beforehand were filled with running cross country and track. Switching over to virtual learning after spending my whole life inside a classroom was difficult for me. Right as I was adjusting to high school, COVID-19 once again changed everything. With my junior year being full of switching between online and in-person classes, it feels like a blur. Despite starting the year wearing masks, senior year has felt the most normal. I finally had the chance to have the normal “high school experience” I wanted. That being said, this year wasn’t easy for me. With dual enrollment classes, college applications, graduation approaching, and so much more, this year was stressful. Luckily, I had my friends and classmates by my side. 

There are a few people in the Digest I want to thank specifically. Mr. Cantrell, thank you for challenging me. Your English class junior year prepared me for the dual enrollment class I would take the following year. Your journalism class prepared me for the real world. Karleigh Schwarzl, you’re the reason I’m in the Digest to begin with. Thank you for sticking by my side during statistics, weight training, and journalism. I don’t know how I would’ve made it through those classes without you. Finally, thank you to the person that has impacted me most: Carmen Breitenbach. I think making awful cookies on purpose and filming a news broadcast neither of us wanted to do are going to be the memories that stick with me most at Central. 

Beyond the Digest, so many teachers and staff impacted me. Teachers like Mrs. Tina Cotreau and Mr. Kevin Parsons encouraged me to always do my best not only in the classroom, but in everything I do. Coach Brett Parrott encouraged me to put my all into everything I do, even when things get difficult. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without Central High School and the Central Digest. 

With less than a week of classes left, my senior year is coming to an end. This chapter of my life is ending, and a brand new chapter is beginning. With everything I’ve learned at Central, I feel prepared and excited for what the future has in store for me. Thank you Central Digest.