I decided to run for homecoming court because I wanted to see how far I could go. I also wanted to experience it because it’s like a trivial High School moment. Even though it’s honestly not that deep to me, because in the end, I know my worth. Obviously, I’m not saying that this is representative of anyone’s self-worth, I just think it’ll help show the impact of my contributions and the work I put in. But other than that, this is just for the memories.

My homecoming experience has actually been pretty surreal because a lot of things have been happening at once. There was the homecoming football game last Friday — it was so amazing — and then I just had my volleyball senior night yesterday on Tuesday. Homecoming Court was also on the same day. With getting to dress up for all of these iconic spirit weeks that my class has been waiting to dress up for for the last four years and having all those senior year experiences, it’s like the experiences of the past four years are coming to a culmination of great things. It’s like being in touch with your class, being in touch with your last year of high school, and essentially being in touch with your last year of childhood before you go off to college.

However, homecoming’s always been difficult for me even though it’s great because volleyball season is always at the same time.I have to balance all my classes, homecoming, and volleyball. It’s so difficult because a lot of this time the schedules overlap.

Still, I have no regrets looking back. I think that I’ve done what I needed to do from the little things from meeting new people and interacting with freshmen to bidding seniors goodbye every single year. I think I’ve done my fair share in that other people have definitely influenced me into becoming a better person for other people. I’ve made my fair share of mistakes, but I would definitely make all the same choices I’ve made throughout my high school journey. And so, I think that overall I’m satisfied with my contribution. 

If I were to give advice to underclassmen, I would say to pay attention to how you react to your mistakes and your experiences. In my opinion, that’s what really defines a person. Instead of dwelling on them and being too hard on yourself, try your best to look at it from a more positive point of view. That really makes a difference in your experience in every area of life — not just high school. Be appreciative of the mistakes and experiences you get and try to view them as opportunities.