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By Kate Mesaros & Michael Bradshaw
Finally. Finally the year 2016 has come and will free us from the torture that is high school. We have been looking forward to this moment for our entire lives. For the longest time, 2016 has seemed like a fantasy, unable to be reached. Graduating from high school has been an idea, a goal, or even a dream, but now it is our reality. After thirteen years in this system, we have rightfully earned our place in the real world. Among the commotion and excitement that surrounds graduation, we must remember to stop and reflect on our pasts here in Dexter. There certainly have been some tough times that we have endured. We suffered through times tables, years and years of the MEAP, NWEA exams, the implementation of the dreadful bus hub, about 35 ACT’s, AP/ IB exams, and worst of all: being forced to write in cursive. Amidst the mountains of homework and testing, we have also been gifted with some great experiences here in Dexter. We have been fortunate enough to have had years with seven snow days, dance marathons, lock-ins, class trips, and the best of all: we got one precious year with the school cookies.
The nostalgia brought about by graduation is inevitable. We are saying goodbye to the familiar; we are saying goodbye to home. Whether you are going to college miles away or staying in Dexter, you will be saying goodbye nonetheless. In a few months we will be embarking on a new chapter of our lives. A chapter in which you have the power to make better than the previous one. I am sad to see all of us go our separate ways, but I am so excited to see what all of us accomplish in life.
Although saying goodbye is never fun, this goodbye is not all negative, for it symbolizes our exciting transition into adulthood. In the midst of all of these farewells, I would like to say a special thank you to those who have helped mold me into the person I am today. I would first like to thank my parents, how typical right? Seriously though, I can’t thank you enough for always being there for me and always having a fantastic meal on the table. The next person I would like to thank is Bergen. I cannot express the appreciation that I have for you and what you have done for me during my four years here. You believed in me when no one else would, and gave me confidence that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. Last on my list is my sister, Abigail. Thank you for setting an incredible example and giving me unreachable expectations to live up to; you motivate me to be the best that I am, but never fail to inform me that I’m not as good as you are.
I encourage all of you to express your gratitude to those who have impacted you most during your time here in Dexter. With a heavy heart, I will be saying goodbye to one of the greatest towns in the world. Thank you, Dexter, for giving us the best childhood any kid could ask for.
Sincerely,
Kate Mesaros
I know at this point we all have senioritis and reading a newspaper article is a lot of work for a soon to be graduate, but bear with me. By the end of this you might just learn something valuable about our final year in high school and the rest of our lives.
This year will be one that we remember for the rest of our lives. We will tell our kids stories and memories from this year. But why is graduation such an important time in our lives? Why is the once seemingly impossible destination of the elusive senior year so life changing?
It’s the year of lasts. The last year to spend with the people we’ve spent the last thirteen with. The last student section. The last time we walk off the court or field. With these lasts come sadness and reflection.
It’s the year of understanding. Ironically enough, I wanted high school to be over since I stepped into the building. Don’t get me wrong, I was excited to be here, but I looked at it as a stepping stone on the path of life. Now as I look back, I feel eerily like the Alchemist (You’re welcome Mrs. McDonnough), realizing that high school wasn’t about the finish line ever, but instead it was about the journey. It was about having an awkward freshman year. It was about the sweet feeling of victory and the devastating feeling of losing in high school sports. It was about stressing to turn in Nortons at 11:59. It was about all the times — both the good and bad.
We are now in the beginning of the process of the rest of our lives. No matter where you are going or what you are doing next year, it will be a great place for the next few years. As we all go on to these next years, we must seize every moment we have. If there’s one thing I’ve learned while going through high school, it would be to never take anything for granted. We take for granted the wonderful school we have, the wonderful teachers, the wonderful friends. Instead of being grateful or appreciating these things we resort to complaining. After going on a life-changing mission trip to Belize this year, I was able to gain a new perspective. I challenge all of us to change our perspective on life as we move into our postgraduate years.
Lastly, it’s important to never forget where you came from. As we all go off to our different destinations and continue on our own paths, we must remember what made us who we are. For me it was the late-night bus rides; the countless hours spent studying; the post-game McDonald’s runs; the Tuesday nights spent with Young Life; the relationships I’ve made with friends, coaches, and teachers. Whatever it was that made you, you should always stay close to your heart. Without these things where would we be? Who would we be?
I will be forever grateful for all of the people that have made my high school life special, especially my senior year. To all the role models that I have been blessed to have influence me, a simple “Thank you” does not express my gratitude effectively. So, as I move on to the University of Michigan next year and say goodbye to Dexter High School, I’m really not saying goodbye at all. Rather you all will stay with me because you have made me into the person I am today.
Sincerely,
Michael Bradshaw
