I can’t believe that my four years of high school are over.  On my first day at Bowie, I can still remember trying to find G hall and wondering why all the seniors had on aprons.  When I was a freshman, the days seemed to take forever and it felt like I would never make it to senior year.  However, when they say time flies, they really mean it.

All of the lessons I have learned at Bowie will be with me throughout my college years and beyond. I learned that it is not a matter of if procrastination happens, it’s a matter of when it will happen, so you have to be ready for it and do what you have to do to get everything done.  I also learned that coming out of your shell and speaking up when you need to be heard is essential in the real world.

Going into high school, I didn’t exactly know what my goals were going to be.  When I first got on the newspaper staff in 9th grade, I knew I wanted to be an editor.  I worked hard on every story I wrote and expanded my horizons by getting into newspaper design and ended up becoming an editor-in-chief my senior year.  I think that has been my biggest accomplishment in my high school career and I want to thank Mr. Reeves for pushing me.  I learned a lot about being a leader, having people depend on you, and the fact that you can’t do everything.  I would always try to take on anything I could and I learned that it’s not the quantity of things you can accomplish, but the quality of each individual thing you do.

My time on the tennis team has also influenced my time in high school.  I have met a lot of great friends that I will keep forever.  While on the team, I also learned how to be more competitive, wanting to win and not giving up when I was down.  This perseverance I have gained  has followed me beyond the tennis court.

This fall I will be attending the University of California at Davis, my dream school since I was about eight years old.  I worked hard all through high school in order to achieve this dream.  When I got the acceptance email, I literally screamed and ran to hug my mom.

I wouldn’t be where I am today without the love and support of my parents and the rest of my family back home in California.  My parents taught me that I can do anything I set my mind to and I truly believe that now.  This chapter in my life is closing and I can’t wait to see what else life has in store for me.  Through all my ups and downs, I know I have the strength and courage to take on anything.