Thank you to the sharp right onto the Carroll campus that was the physical alarm for me to wake from my before-school nap. Thank you to the fourth floor bathroom that saw a lot of my frustrated tears. Thank you to every St. Katherine’s student who gave me a smile that they didn’t know I needed. Thank you to the infamous chicken nuggets I ate way too many times. Thank you Mr. Malloy for never questioning the bizarre ways I broke my Chromebook. Thank you stage crew for the wonderful memories that I will always cherish. Thank you Diversity Club for being a safe learning space. Thank you to my old and new friends who I love so much. Thank you Mrs. Gimpel for reigniting my love for writing that I thought was long gone. Thank you Father Cavara for helping me to understand Catholicism and answering every question I had. Thank you Mrs. Volpe for always calling me sunshine; those words always seemed to brighten my day. Thank you to my favorite teacher ever, Mrs. Bacalou, for always praising my terrible French accent. Thank you Carroll for the good times and bad. Thank you for the experience. 

If I’m being honest, Carroll wasn’t where I wanted to go. Only until I opened up, and pushed myself to be uncomfortable was when I started to enjoy it. High school was nothing like anything we thought it would be. After slip and slides in the halls, awards and detentions, and a global pandemic, my biggest takeaway is gratefulness. I am grateful for the opportunities. I am grateful for the memories. But most of all I’m grateful for the challenge. Carroll was what I needed. Even though it was nothing like I would have imagined, I’m grateful for the ride.