Its...weird...knowing that i will be leaving here in less than 24 hours...that my 7 years in Pinole boil down to one night. Im excited, im scared, and i just want to give as much advice as I can and try to help people stay on the right path because we all deserve a chance at success and greatness, so bear with me.
REFLECTION:
Thinking a lot about high school lately I realize how lucky i have been. I do not know a lot of people who can honestly say that they have seen themselves grow over their 4 high school years and steadily become the person they always saw themselves being. I am not trying to brag, but I am extremely proud of all that I have done, all the mistakes that I made, and all the times I got up after being knocked down. Starlings are not the biggest of birds, but they are aggressive, they fight for what they love and want, so in that sense I feel I have done my name justice. I am still worried about the future, but I know that I have the strength confront any challenge that may come.
THE BAND:
I saw the band kids on the penultimate and final days of band camp this year and I knew I had to give a special mention to them. I started to tear up. Seeing them, my little buddies whom I have know since their freshmen years, leading the next generation of band youths...it just made me feel joy like no other. The band has been such a big part of my life and I didn't even know it until it was time for me to leave. To all underclassmen who may be reading this: JOIN A CLUB, join or establish a club doing something you love and you can easily find a family of people who will support you through your high school years. The band made my life so much funner and if any bandmate is reading this just know that you made the right choice joining band ;).
COLLEGE:
DO NOT FRET ABOUT COLLEGE. Seeing my junior friends stress over college really bugs me because there are a lot of things that we are not told about college that would really help when it comes time to apply. 1.) do not apply to a college you do not really want to go to. I know this seems obvious but many seniors applied to places like UC's and state school's as backup places. This is not a smart move, while I understand that you want a backup school that is easier to get into, but you NEED to pick a school that you actually WANT to go to. My advice: make a list of colleges you want go to in order of how difficult it is to get in, a list of 5 or 6 will do, and make sure you would be excited about going to. 2.) ivy leagues are overrated and you do not need to go there to get a good education. I know that most people think Ivy's are a golden ticket to life, but you need to be able to have a school that has what you need and the resources that you can access to make you successful. If that is an ivy, fine, but do not base your life around going to one. You will be just fine without it :3. Last, WORK ON APPS EVERY BLOODY DAY. It is so easy for deadlines to pile up with school so just take things slow and make you sure you do a little everyday. Again this seems obvious, but you know how out generation is, "ill do it tomorrow" and the tomorrow never comes. Stay on your game, be smart, and enjoy your upperclassmen years :D.
THE NEW BEGINNING:
So thats all I guess, its been so amazing living here in Pinole, all the friends I made, adventures I have had, things I have learned...its hard to imagine leaving it all behind. But...I'LL BE BACK to visit and I will always keep Pinole close to my heart, along with everything it represents. Thank you to everyone who befriended me, supported me, loved me, etc. I promise to do my best and make my city and myself proud.
So farewell Pinole, The Star World is moving to ROCHESTER!!!!
Its time for this Starling to leave its nest C=<
