As I look back at my time at ACC, it is wild for me to think that I have been here since fall 2021, when COVID was still on everyone’s mind. It was the start of some of the wildest 4 years of my life. I met some really awesome people who I hope to stay friends with for a while. I became friends with someone who I didn’t like in middle school, and I learned a lot about myself and what I like and don’t like, but I also went through some struggles with my mental health and self-esteem. However, it was all fun, and when I look back, I wonder where the time went. How am I graduating in 2 weeks and going off to college for engineering—something that felt so far away? It feels as if my time in high school the past few years has been so long at the moment but short overall. It feels like just yesterday that it was a sophomore year, or when I started journalism in journalism. However, as I am writing this, yesterday was May 13th, a random Tuesday and exactly 3 weeks away from graduation. All this to say, it feels exciting and also really sentimental that this is coming to an end. I am ready to be done with classes and the way school is done, but not the people and the energy that ACC brings. It has always been nice that I know almost everyone in my grade, and I feel like because of that, the energy and connections we get to make are something that I appreciate and will miss.

Beyond just the people, I feel like ACC has a lot to offer, and through what it offers in the more technical and DE classes, the benefits are great. Capstone is actually a really great experience that I maybe could have used better when I look back. I also think that with the new building being made, it really does feel like an end of the era for both me and for the school. With the new building being built, it definitely will be weird for me to come back and visit as it will be much longer and much more expansive. Additionally, it will be wild to see which teachers are still here and which ones have left, changed subjects, or just how it is different. This time of the year for me has always felt like a time of change, then the end of a school year, summer starting, and a break from reality. This year more than ever, it has felt like change; it is the farewell of ACC for me and also of Arlington during the spring, which I won’t miss. It is just a lot of change, which is exciting and sad all at the same time.

I would say that even with all the change that feels hard and sentimental,  there are many exciting changes that have come and will come in the past and future few years. These include the ACC Chronicle becoming more student-led in updating the website, publishing, and just in general, which is awesome. This change for the future comes down to Maggie, Clara, and Cody, and I’m passing down our jobs to the next students. For me, that is Alice, who will continue the legacy, which brings me nothing but excitement and joy in seeing where the Chronicle goes next.

I would like to end with just one piece of wisdom/major takeaway from high school: one of the greatest gifts of high school is going through change and allowing it to come. It might be scary, but looking back at how far you have come, the impacts you made, and the changes you caused is something that I finally understand. High school wasn’t always easy or fun, but now I realize that, at least at this moment, what I went through has made me stronger, wiser, and more prepared for college. Thanks for a great 4-years ACC, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.