I was given about two weeks to summarize my thoughts on my past four years at this fantastic place. I didn’t know what to talk about. It’s a very daunting task when someone says, “Alright, this is the last thing that these people are going to remember you by.” I thought for a while but eventually came to a conclusion that is actually a great rule to live by in high school. Just be yourself. It’s definitely a very cliché thing to say but it’s extremely true.

Do things that you want to do. If you see a club you want to join, join a club. It will definitely help diversify your friend group and allow you to meet new people. But if you don’t want to join a club, then don’t join a club. Don’t be worried about what people are going to think about you. As a freshman, I was always a little skeptical about talking to the upperclassmen. I assumed they wanted nothing to do with me just because I was an underclassman. But, if there’s one thing I’ve learned all senior year, it’s that 90% of seniors literally don’t care. As long as you’re a cool person and you share the same interests then you’ll get along fine. Age is just a number.

Also, another very true statement that you don’t realize until you’re at this point in your senior year: four years goes by very fast. It’s amazing how quickly my high school career began and ended. All that means is make the most of it. You aren’t going to remember those nights when you were tired and decided to get more sleep. Go out and have fun. There’s not enough time to stress about stupid bs and worry over school. You’ve only got 4 years around all these people. So if I was you, I’d take every opportunity you get to have a good time.

It’s been real Ames High. Tyler Gross out.