Now that I’m coming to the end of senior year, everyone’s been reminiscing about things they’ll miss from their K-12 school career. Personally, I’m very happy, but still nervous, to move on. I really hope I don’t experience anything like 4th-10th grade again (the dark ages). I can’t honestly say that I’ll miss many things about this school, but there are many things I’m grateful for.
For one, I’m so grateful that I met people who just let me be as weird and cringey as I wanted. I really don’t think that I’d be as emotionally aware without our deep sleepover discussions. I’m also thankful that I had such a good high school education. The US isn’t exactly superior in its education—but I feel like NVOT always offered good opportunities and did its best to be as inclusive and welcoming as possible. Also, our cafeteria food was really good (I always took a tax from my friends’ food and my favorites have always been the waffle fries and cookies). And, of course, I’m grateful for being a part of The Lance.
The Lance wasn’t like any other class. In a way, it was a simulation for what college would be like. Not in the sense that the teachers would force a bunch of assignments onto us, but rather the atmosphere that existed in the room.
When I first entered the classroom, I was shocked at how casual the teachers were towards the students. Before, I saw teachers as higher beings who shouldn’t be questioned or spoken to unless my future or life was at risk. Instead, they cracked jokes and talked to us as if we were older and more responsible than we truly were. It was up to the students to grab whatever opportunity they could. I saw that my growth as a writer and member of the publication was entirely up to how much energy I was willing to dedicate to it.
On top of that, The Lance taught me how to put myself out there. You always have to interview someone when writing a story. Sending interviews via email were safe, comfortable, and easy, but the delays could make follow-up questions difficult. Directly interviewing the person allowed me to practice my communication skills, be more forward, and enrich my story. I will always be grateful for The Lance. I don’t know what’s waiting for me in college or the adult world, but the publication helped me feel a little less afraid and a little more confident.
But The Lance didn’t just teach me the importance of pushing myself, it taught me the importance of pushing myself whenever I could. I was so determined to always be doing my best that even in times where I was done with an assignment and had free time, I’d stare at a blank Google Docs screen and pretend to be busy in hopes of not being seen as a bad writer or student.
In reality, it’s impossible to always do your best. Sometimes, your resources were completely dry. Or the person you’ve been trying to interview started ignoring you. Or simply nothing story-worthy was happening in the school at all. Or you worked so hard you became burnt out. But I learned that these moments don’t make you a lesser writer–or a lesser student. They just give you time to rest, do other work, and take a necessary break from the world for a moment. Today, I try to apply this mindset to other parts of my life—enjoying a cup of tea before work, letting myself nap a little longer, and reminding myself to take breaks from drawing the whole day. I will always be grateful for The Lance. I don’t know what’s waiting for me in college or the adult world, but the publication helped me feel a little less afraid and a little more confident.
It’s hard to listen to what those NVOT alumni said about appreciating high school when I know I’ll be laughing with joy the moment I get that diploma. But what I can do is appreciate the things that high school has given me, like The Lance, to use for the future.
