The last essay I'll write in high school

The final essay for my english 4 honors class.


The years spent in high school are truly defining years for each and every person. It may seem like a mundane drag while it's going on, but I doubt one person can completely erase the journey from their mind when it's over. Like every journey it has it's ups and it's downs, it's highs and lows. Now that my high school journey is wrapping up and coming to an end, I can only remember good things about it, or at least things that brought good in some shape or form. I know I'll never be able to forget it as long as I live. This journey has given me a lot to take with me to the next part of my life. It's turned me into the person I've become and the person I will be is going to continue to be built off the memories made here and what they've taught me.
One of the most important things I learned during my journey was how important friends and family are. During all the downs of my journey there were people there to help me back up. Sometimes lifting yourself up is extremely hard hard and other people can offer help. I had times where I tried to cheer myself up and failed terribly but every time a friend or family member talked me through, I was fine and happy again shortly. Looking back all the downs and lows were a lot to have tried to handle on my own. Not only did those wonderful people help me through the lows but they made the highlights of my high school career so much better. They shared many laughs with me and jokes that I doubt I could ever forget as long as I live. I'm extremely thankful to have such kindhearted people backing me up and keeping me going.
The next lesson high school taught me was there is no way to accurately judge a person before meeting them. I met hundreds of new people during the four years I spent in high school. I always formed some sort of opinion about them before meeting them, and I still do, but I've realized my

opinions tend to be extremely wrong. People are too complex to overgeneralize. No person is completely good nor completely bad. We just like to think in black and white. Don't think that you have a person figured out, people will surprise you all the time.
The last thing high school showed me was the importance of an open mind. I entertained thoughts that I'd never even heard about before. I learned how to think for myself and form my own opinions. I no longer relied on my parents. As a person I gained my independence. I think that will stick with me in the years to come. I broke out of my comfort shell and questioned myself and the things surrounding me. Everyone has to make the transition to becoming their own person, and there is no better time then high school.
All three lessons are things I will take with me when I leave Southwestern. I've grown a lot as a person and made a lot of friends during the past four years here. It's going to be hard to leave. I don't think I could have picked a better school with better people to see five days a week bright and early. I'll always be a piasa bird at heart, even if my life takes me places where people have no idea what a piasa bird is.