Flashback to the last week of junior year, the weather is warming and summer climbs to the horizon. Beyond that, just close enough to see, the end of my high school career. Classes to schedule and credits to earn, I pieced together a picture of what my senior year would look like. The most exciting development: joining the Central Digest Staff.

Given the title of “Columnist,” my job was to hunt down stories and give my opinion. This duty was not as easy one. I worked at the mercy of slow weeks and dragging correspondence. For some stories, I took to the city, interviewing anyone who would stop to talk with me. Every story was an adventure. With each one, I met new people and made new friends. For an introvert like myself, this was quite a push. Despite some initial difficulty, I learned that I loved finding interesting stories.

Each week started with a search. I raided newspapers and local blogs looking for that spark of inspiration. New businesses popping up downtown? Community college kicks off a new Symphonic Band? I found many leads in unlikely places. With some help from my classmates, I learned a lot about writing and finding my own way.

In full, I thank the Digest and all of the awesome people I have met along the way. This year and this experience has been a journey. I hope that the next columnist will have as much fun as I did.

Goodbye to high school, and goodbye to the Central Digest.

With love,

Hannah Stone, Class of 2016