While my high school years at Carroll didn’t end how I wanted them to, they weren’t that bad. They weren’t how I expected high school to be. I thought it was supposed to be fun. I think I really only genuinely enjoyed my freshman year. Freshman year was special to me because I started high school with all my friends from grade school and we came into a welcoming environment. As the years went by, fewer and fewer of “the Chester kids” remained.

I don’t remember the first day but I know freshman year I always wanted to come back to school every day. I kind of wish I would have stayed involved in sports or other extracurricular activities after my sophomore year. My freshman basketball team was also the first team to go undefeated, with 21 wins and 0 losses.

One of my best friends, Daisy, attended Carroll and that made everything better for me, always knowing I had one person to run to. Daisy and I have been friends since kindergarten, attending the same schools throughout and we are also going to the same college! Through it all, I lost some friends but the ones that stayed are lifelong friends! The bond we built over time, is now unbreakable.

Kairos was one of the best times I had at Carroll. One thing that helped me fully get through was my friends being there. Going in open-minded and being open to whatever was going to happen made it so much better. The experience was great and although I didn’t stay as close to members as I would’ve liked, it was a helping experience. I would go back any day. With everything that we are going through now, I’m happy I at least got the chance to attend 2018 senior prom, junior prom, and all but a few of the dances. I never expected my senior year to end like this. It’s really bittersweet but we have to live with it. The teachers that I’ve had over the years were really helpful and I noticed that they really wanted better for us as students but also as people.

I’m forever grateful for the experience at Carroll. It has really changed me as a person. Stepping into a different environment and meeting tons of different people has helped me look through others’ eyes and not be so judgmental. I wish I would’ve connected a little bit more with my fellow seniors. They were always welcoming and we always had each other.