Graduation: the epitome of every high school student’s life. The last four years of our lives is being shoved into a 90 minute (or more) ceremony that consists of a handshake and then an usher off stage. For some, graduation is just another glorified experience that they’d rather not have to go through, but for others, it is all of their hard work and late nights being validated in the form of their high school diploma.

The Class of 2018 graduation is coming up quicker than expected, and I think I can speak for most when I say that we’re ready to leave high school behind. But to clarify, when I say leave high school behind, I think of leaving behind the school work and the stress, rather than completely ditch altogether. I believe that we are ready to leave the workload, but not the experience.

The high school experience develops who you are; you learn who your true peers are, and so much more. The standard adolescence life is simply put as puberty, emotions, and dating, but it becomes a more complex notion when you step foot into a high school full of 2,000 students. Aside from what can be a scary journey, high school has definitely had an abundant amount of good times – like senior prom, or just a having lunch with your closest friends.

Those four years all turn into graduation day, and whether or not you got accepted into college or if you going straight into the workforce, graduation is an elevated time that leaves you itching to run through the doors when that last bell chimes. Change can be terrifying, especially when it comes to the transition that we have to face once we receive our diplomas, but take it easy. Divulge in your last days with your classmates and favorite teachers, and then once you’re done, take off running and live your life to the fullest.

The Class of 2018 graduation will be at the Curtis Culwell Center at 4:00 p.m. – be ready, seniors.