With Gratitude

It’s been a year in which the days feel like months and yet the months feel like seconds. My time on The Hill is coming to a close, and my life is about to change very drastically and very quickly – as I’m sure many of my readers are experiencing as well. I was talking to a friend yesterday about the end of senior year, and she reminded me that we’re all going through it together, at the same time. She reminded me that, despite the drastically different futures we’re all headed to, we’re in the same place now, and that is all that really matters. “Sometimes it’s okay to take it day by day,” she said. Drop into the now, allow yourself to fully experience this exciting yet fleeting time, and worry about the rest later. 

Before I turn the tassel on my graduation cap, I would like to say a few things. First of all, thank you to whoever is reading this. It means the world to me that someone on the other side of a screen somewhere is taking the time to get to know me through my own thoughts. This blog has been a space for me to write and think and express myself, and it amazes me that anyone at all finds my words interesting. Thank you to the people that have shaped my Kents Hill experience beyond this blog; you are the ones who have prompted these pieces, and I would not have had anything to write about if it hadn’t been for you. Thank you to my teachers – you have given me an academic experience like no other; you have kept me motivated, accountable, and successful.

And to my class – I am so glad I got this time with you. It is such a beautiful coincidence that we all ended up here together; I wouldn’t wish for any other group of people to have shared these last few years with. You have all taught me more than I can even begin to understand, even right now. I have learned so much about myself and the world in general here on The Hill, beyond the scope of academics and writing essays. I have come to know the things that uplift me and the things that don’t, and I have acquired the skills to be myself, completely. I have learned the importance of community, of leaning on one another, of being aware that you are not alone. I have gained interests and pursued passions, I have experienced new things, I have even traveled to Costa Rica – something ninth grade me wouldn’t have thought was possible during high school. I wish I could say that I understand the impact of this place, but the truth is, it’s still setting in. I don’t think I’ll ever stop learning from the people I’ve met and the places I’ve been, as there are countless lessons to be found in reflection. I find comfort in the fact that, even though I’m leaving, my connection with Kents Hill School will last a very long time.

Once again, thank you. I hope you all have a wonderful summer, and I hope I get the chance to talk to you again. Perhaps then, I will have some more things to share about just how much this place has impacted me.