Dear Carroll friends, 

This school year was nothing like I expected. I expected to come to Carroll to finish high school, graduate, get my diploma, and leave without making any meaningful connections. But I was wrong. At first it was terrible. I’m not going to sugarcoat it. I didn’t want to be here. All I could think about was what my year would’ve looked like if I stayed back in Haiti. Eventually, after a couple months of settling in, I started to find joy in the little things around me and allowed myself to explore this new environment I found myself in. I talked to some people, made some new friends, and over time made memories. I genuinely enjoyed my last year of high school. It was hard at first but in the end it exceeded any expectations I had. My friends and my family were the only things that kept me grounded. Thank you for being my home away from home. 

We made a lot of fun memories together but prom was by far one of our best times together. It was my first high school prom and I loved every second of it. The music, the food, the dancing: it was all perfect. At first I didn’t want to get on the dance floor, but they played some really good songs and I ended up there anyway. Dancing with my friends was the highlight of my night. We shouted the lyrics, laughed, and took a ton of pictures. It was a great time. 

The advice I would give to the upcoming senior class is to go to Kairos and prom because even if it’s not your thing it’s still an experience you’re going to want to experience. I would also tell them to relax because the hardest part is over and all they have to do now is try to enjoy their last months of having the high school experience. The advice I would give underclassmen is to push through because if you work hard your first two years your last two will be less stressful. 

Sincerely,

Mayva Pierre Louis