Although the days seem to go by so slowly for some, the seniors know that once you get down to the single digit days of your high school career, the days seem to zoom on past.

No matter where you turn, some sort of celebration or commencement is going on. I don’t know what it is that makes seniors feel invincible during those last few days of high school, but I can tell you, from experience, a lot of reflection goes on behind the curtain of power. Remembering the fear and apprehension on your first day of high school and the nerves and butterflies in your body the first time you stepped out on the field for a varsity soccer game – those are the things going through your mind as you walk down the halls for one final time. Taking those feelings for granted as an underclassman will make you think again when your final day of high school approaches.

As I say goodbye to Harlem, its staff, and students, I encourage each person to take in the little moments and remember each butterfly and feeling of happiness. Those seconds will never be able to be relived, but if we take the time to take them in, the memories will last a lifetime. Never forget that when you fall, not getting back up to try again is failure in itself. Even if you’re scared, be sure to take that leap and try out for the lead role in the spring musical or play tennis for the first time. I say this because when your final day of high school rolls around, you will be able to look back on your last four years and say, “I was something – I am something.”

So, farewell, Harlem; I owe the last four years of success to the opportunities you have given me. I wish good luck to all the students, and a special thanks to the staff that shaped me into the college-bound student I am today. Although they will be different and very scary, I plan to make the best out of my next four years at the University of Illinois, and I plan to take in every second of college life.