Four years of being a Titan. Four years of hearing “Gooooooo titanssss” every day on the announcements. Four years of losing, making, and keeping friends. Four years of creating memories that will forever be with me.

            It blows my mind that my high school years are already done. It feels like just yesterday I was crying the night before the first day of my freshmen year, knowing that it was about to be a big transition from middle to high school.

            People have asked me a lot recently whether or not I am looking forward to college. Yes, I’m excited to meet new people and experience new things as I start to prepare for my future. However, high school was not half as bad as people made it seem when I was in middle school.

            High school definitely was not easy after sophomore year, and senior year has not been as easy as many people said it would be. Being in high school is different from elementary school and middle school. I like how every day I have a little routine.

            I wake up around 8, get ready, show up to school around 8:58, usually picking up a little jog on my way to first block, go to all my classes, usually taking several bathroom breaks to get out of a few boring lectures, and when the bell rings, walk out to my car with everyone, waving to friends in the parking lot and then sit in traffic for a good 30 minutes.

            This may not seem like a fun or interesting day, but the routine of my day in high school is so regular to me that imagining me not doing it every day just seems weird.

            Although high school has been a lot of fun, there are certain things that I’ll never forget, and whether that’s a good or bad thing, I don’t know. For example, I’ll never forget our “go against the dress code day” in which my friends and I all wore short shorts to purposefully fight the dress code. No, it probably wasn’t the best idea, but hey, it makes for a good story and something that I’ll always remember.

            Going to high school sport games will also be missed. At Dominion, we definitely did not have the best teams, which was frustrating, but going out to dinner with friends and then to the games was always fun, whether the teams ended up losing or winning. And of course, D-Lounge is something that I will definitely miss. However, it would have been nice to have a successful athletic school, rather than our academic team bringing in all the trophies.

            With this year coming to a close, there are many friends, teachers, and memories that I will never forget. And before I go, I would like to add a few thanks to those who have helped me through these past four years and those who have prepared me for the years to come.

            First, I want to thank Mr. Schwartz. I’ll be honest, having you for English definitely wasn’t the highlight of my junior year. Outside of class, however, is a whole different story. Whether it be talking to you about professional sports or high school soccer, you’re so easy to hold a conversation with. In Journalism, you have taught me a lot and have given me some idea of what I want to do in the future. Thanks for listening to me this year venting about various things. Oh, and thank you for giving me a clinic junior year for eating during Titan Time. And sorry that I kept eating on my way to the trash can. But I did enjoy sitting in your room, in silence, by myself for a good 10 minutes. Quality bonding time. Finally, don’t miss me and my juggling too much and I’ll be sure to stop by next year, waffle maker in hand. Seriously, thank you for everything.

Also, thank you to Dr. Brewer. When I first came to Dominion and I walked past you in the hallway, it was a little shocking that you knew my name, especially since my brothers went to Pot Falls and not Dominion. However, over the years, you have done a lot for the class of 2011. You’ve kept this school so organized and disciplined and I feel comfortable coming to Dominion every day. Thank you.

            I also want to say thanks to Ms. Smith. You have done so much for our class. I know that everything you have done this year has been very time consuming, but you’ve helped as all a lot. Besides just senior things, you’ve always been there to talk to whether it be about hard classes, scheduling, or just the upcoming weekend plans. Thank you.

            Next, I want to thank Ms. Norton, who although wasn’t my guidance counselor, has helped me out greatly over the past years. Although sophomore year was rough, I’m glad things happened so that I had the chance to meet such an awesome person. I appreciate you being such a great mentor for me and always listening to what I had to say. You’ve helped me through various situations and always allowed me to just drop in various times throughout the day. People should know that if I’m not in class, I’m probably in your room, venting or distracting you from your work. In all seriousness, thank you for everything. You’ve truly been a role model for me and I’ll miss you a lot. But finally, I promise to never dye my hair again.

            Finally, thank you to my parents who have had to deal with me over these four stressful years. You’ve made me the person I am today, and I can’t thank you enough. I know dealing with my attitude and various mood changes probably wasn’t the easiest thing, but I appreciate you sticking through it. Although I hated you both bugging me to do my homework, I do want to say thank you for pushing me to my full potential. I love you both and I promise not to procrastinate too much next year.

Good luck to all the underclassmen, and the juniors who are coming in on their last year. My biggest piece of advice: have fun while it lasts, for these four years will be over before you know it. But remember, always be truly titan.