As my time here at CHS is coming to an end, I wanted to write a thank you letter to the school that shaped me into the person I am today and put me on the right path to success. From the teachers I had in all my years of schooling, to the community members and coaches I’ve had the privilege to learn from, I am grateful. 

I started here at Concord when I was 5 years old. I would say my love of learning was first curated in kindergarten by my teacher Mrs. Arbuckle. I remember how fun she used to make learning and how comfortable she made me feel. One of my favorite memories about being in her class is learning how to say the alphabet backward. I used to think it was so cool saying it backward. 

I can’t forget about middle school. These three years were transition years for me that provided the first taste of what it is like to be a part of a school sport. Without these opportunities, I wouldn’t have found out how much I love volleyball. I formed many of my current friendships through middle school sports. I would also like to thank the teachers who started treating us like we were more grown up and showed us we are capable of being responsible. They made it a mission to prepare us for high school; they gave us freedoms like working in the hallway without supervision. I would say many of my favorite memories are from middle school.

One memory that comes to mind is from my eighth-grade year. The new science teacher would let my two best friends and I go into her room during our free hour and let us make up dances in her back room to songs like “Fergalicious”. Another favorite memory from middle school was when Joeann Lane got stuck in the bathroom window trying to crawl out of it for a movie we were making. The three years that are usually rough for most people were some very fun years thanks to the environment the staff members created for us. 

Obviously, I need to thank everyone involved in the high school for making these last four years probably the best of my life. The switch from middle to high school was easy for me thanks to my friends and the inviting culture within the high school. I would say my favorite memories from high school were from sports. Being on a sports team with people from other grades forced me to meet new people and get involved in the school. The environment the upperclassmen and coaches made for me my freshman year was a big reason I was able to feel comfortable within the high school. As I started to make more friends from other grades, I felt as though I fit in. The tight-knit community that our staff members strive for was a big reason I felt this way.

You change a lot throughout the four years. You start to get a sense of who you are and who you want to be. The staff here are so focused on helping you secure a bright future by giving you as many opportunities as they can. From giving us classes like College and Career Prep to hiring staff members solely for the purpose of applying for colleges and scholarships. Many thank yous go out to my high school teachers. Mrs.O for giving me confidence and responsibility within the student council when I first joined and also being very progressive with your teaching; I hope to have more teachers like you in college. Mr. Reiniche for always making the class fun and showing us it’s okay to have fun sometimes. Mrs.Couling for helping me feel confident in the choices I make in drama when I’m presenting. Many of my presenting abilities came from her teachings. A thank you also goes out to Ms.Kelly for always being real with me and showing me what I’m capable of. Without these people, I would not feel as prepared as I am to leave and pursue bigger and greater things.

Some moments I will miss the most from high school other than the people are homecoming and snowcoming. My favorite homecoming was this year because I had the honor to be on court. For the pep assembly, four of us walked out and performed the jingle bell rock dance from Mean Girls as our walk-out song. It was so fun being a part of the student council and being able to be a part of planning these. I will also miss the student sections and cheering for our friends.

If I were to give one piece of advice to incoming freshmen, it would be to be involved in as much as you can; it’s not hard to manage– you just have to put in some more time, which isn’t hard. I would also say try to be friends with everyone: it will make your high school experience more fun. You don’t realize it until you’re about to graduate, but it goes by in the blink of an eye, so enjoy it and don’t try to grow up too fast.

I hope for all Concord students to have the same positive and successful experience I had throughout my years. I thank everyone who has supported me and my endeavors throughout my school career. I will be forever grateful.

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