I walked into Ames High expecting every cheesy teen film I had ever seen. It isn’t hard to imagine what role I wanted to be. I was too quiet for anyone to notice and too terrified to speak up in fear of rejection.

I wanted someone to magically notice that I was shy and shepherd me into their world of popularity. I wanted to be found by a group of outcasts and scream into the wind that we were below average. I wanted to take down the mean girls and laugh in their faces as I rode off into the sunset.

Well, those fantasies didn’t exactly pan out. Instead, I loved and lost and didn’t get any revenge. I had friends but we never teamed up to take down the school bullies, and I didn’t go on any crazy adventures that changed my perspective on high school.

I didn’t live a teen movie but that doesn’t mean my experience was bad. In fact, I learned to stop living in my head because there is so much to do. I went to dances and danced until my toes were numb. I went to St. Louis and saw museums and braved my fear of (small) roller coasters. I watched people I barely knew immerse themselves into amazing characters in the musicals and sing with a passion I only wish I could achieve. High school didn’t live up to my expectations but I wouldn’t change a thing.

through the past four years, I have become someone completely different and I owe all to you Ames High. Thank you to the people who loved me and disliked me. Because of you, I learned to become strong and handle my emotions with care. Thank you to teachers like Mr.Webb, Mrs.Seibert, Ms. Testroet, and Mrs. Brenneman. You all pushed me to work hard and do better. Mr. Johnson, I am especially grateful to you. Because of you, I stopped silencing my words and started expressing myself through writing. You showed me Journalism and I will forever be in your debt. Finally, thank you to Lisa Cochran and Lucas Bleyle, and the rest of the WEB staff. Without you, the layout wouldn’t have ever gotten done and the WEB would just be a picture of me screaming.

In the wise words of Gwen Stacy from The Amazing Spiderman 2, “I know it feels like we’re saying goodbye, but we will carry a piece of each other into everything that we do next, to remind us of who we are, and of who we’re meant to be. I’ve had a great four years with you, and I’ll miss you all very much.”