When Mr. Castle said this would be our second to last issue, it really hit me. I realized that my senior year is almost over. Though I’m not going to miss staying up doing homework and destroying my sleep schedule, I am going to miss seeing my friends and teachers everyday. 

Being a senior this year doesn’t feel different from any other years; if anything, it’s just more of a workload. However, it was such a satisfying feeling to have a sense of normalcy this year on campus. Being able to be in class and be with your friends during lunch. I’ve decided to use this story as a “misses and thank you’s” which is where I will state things I will miss about high school, and what specific things I’m thankful for.

Mrs. Peña, your laugh makes the whole class laugh, even when we think that something isn’t that funny, you start cracking up and that makes us all die of laughter. Don’t ever lose your sense of humor. Also, the joy you have when you teach biology is what makes my mornings, thank you for being so passionate about biology.

I’m going to miss hearing Mr. Mitchell explain to us how velocity and acceleration are derivatives of position and other calculus lingo; I’ll miss how understanding and kind Mr. Mitchell is. Mr. Mitchell, thank you for being such a role model to me, as I hope to continue your mathematical teachings in my future and hopefully have students that look up to me the same way I look up to you.

I’m going to miss having discussions with my groupmates, Brooke, Abi, and Sukhleen, in AP Lit because they always have something so perplexing to say regarding the novels we read. I’m also going to miss Mr. Machnik’s random discussions; whether if PopTarts should be eaten toasted or right out of the bag, or just our repeated discussions about hummus. Thank you for always making us all laugh in third period.

I’m going to miss hearing Mrs. Manter’s inspirational and knowledgeable speeches. I feel that Mrs. Manter is a special person in my life because she’s been my swim coach, P.E. teacher, and AVID teacher. I’ve had the privilege of having her as a teacher for all four years of high school. I honestly don’t know how I’m going to get through college without having Mrs. Manter as a part of my daily routine. Mrs. Manter, thank you for always being there and supporting me throughout the years, it has been an honor to have been one of your students.

I’m going to miss hearing Mr. Johnson’s lectures in AP Government. Mr. Johnson is one of the most qualified teachers I have ever met. I love watching him get so excited about teaching his students about government and U.S. history and that is what makes that class so enjoyable. I’m also going to miss seeing Denise, Kailene, Emily, Karyme, Jackie, and Yaire; you guys always know how to bring life into the classroom and how to make my stomach hurt from laughing so much, thank you.

I’m going to miss listening to Mr. Castle telling us stories at the beginning of sixth period and how he always makes fun of Denise and how she says “Nawwwrrrrr”. Honestly, I’m going to miss the whole Clarion staff. You guys are so fun to be around and there’s never a time when I’m not laughing in that class. Mr. Castle, thank you for giving me the opportunity to write for our school newspaper. I probably wouldn’t have even been in Clarion if it weren’t for you.

Mrs. Ramming, I think you have had the greatest impact on me as a teacher. Not only was I able to have you as a math teacher for three consecutive years, but you showed me that teaching math is something that I want to do for the rest of my life. You are more than just a teacher to me; you are my mentor. You’ve helped me see that being a goofy, nerdy, math-lover is something that I can make a career out of. I want to thank you for always being there for me; whether it was for math, advice, or just to have a hilarious conversation. I can’t wait to see what the math world has in store for me.

Sra. Quintanilla, gracias por ayudarme a encontrar mi pasión por los idiomas extranjeros. No solo me enseñaste español, sino que me enseñaste a ser un líder. Gracias por todas las oportunidades que me han dado a lo largo de la prepa.

Thank you to all of my teachers who I’ve gotten to have as a student. I promise I didn’t forget about you, I’m just trying to make Celeste’s job easier (she’s our layout editor, and works very hard to make all of our stories fit into our newspaper layout)!

I’m going to miss water polo and swim. Whether I’m on JV or Varsity, I’m just happy to be a part of the team. Thank you to my water polo and swim teammates, who have helped me see that life is better if you “just keep swimming.” Thank you Coach Wood for always making us have a good time, whether it’s in or out of the pool. Sometimes you drive us crazy with some of the swim sets you give us, and not gonna lie, sometimes we all want to throw our fins at you, but you’re a fun kid at heart and we love you Coach!

Suzie and Litzully, you two have known me for six years! No matter where we go in our future, we will always have the memories of high school woven between us. I’m going to miss spilling tea to you both, Litzully always talking about her books, and Suzie’s big heart. You both are going to be some of the most successful people in this world, I know it.

Finally, a thank you to my parents and family. You guys have supported me from day one and have continued to support me to this day. I’m going to miss waking up and seeing everyone in the kitchen, I’m gonna miss seeing my fur babies run to me when I get home, and I’m especially gonna miss seeing my baby brother everyday. Te amo travieso.

As I finalize my college decisions and begin the next chapter in my life, I’m going to reflect back on all the amazing memories I have because of high school. And who knows, maybe in the future, I’ll come back to Selma High, to help my future students create their memories too.