I’ve had plenty of time to reflect on the past few years, so I’ve compiled a list of four things I’ve learned in four years. Spoiler alert: I’m going to miss Seattle Prep very much.

1. Teachers want you to succeed. I used to get really in my head about asking teachers for help. The sooner I got over that fear, the sooner I was able to do my best. Every teacher at Prep is here to help you learn. Many of them are parents who very much understand what we’re all going through. Since I got over the very difficult ordeal of asking for help, I have formed relationships with many of my teachers and learned more than I ever would’ve before.
2. Trying hard is a good thing. I think I’ve secured my place as a person who tries really hard… definitely enough to be considered a try hard. Pre high school, I would’ve probably thought that this is a bad/weird thing. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that by choosing to go to Seattle Prep, we have all said something about our willingness to be try hards. (Hint: Prep isn’t really the place to slack off.) There’s no better feeling than a successful outcome to reward hard work.
3. Appreciate the little things. This is cliché, and saying that its cliché makes it more cliché… but I’m still going to say it. When I think back to the times that made Prep so special, I think more about the in between moments than anything else. My morning carpool, helping get a group of freshman ready for the Frosh Retreat talent show, or hanging out in the library during a free period- all these small moments remind me of the people who have contributed so much to my four years.
4. Everyone is in the same boat. My mom told me this before I started freshman year: “Don’t worry about other people looking at you. They’re all too in their heads to care” (I later learned that yes, I too was way too concerned with myself to notice anything else.) It goes beyond that initial awkwardness of freshman year. Sometimes, we are all stuck in the same helpless boat as we navigate through school.

Taking the time to figure out four lessons I’ve learned was therapeutic, especially because my time as a senior was cut short. Most of all, I’ve grown as a whole person. I am incredibly grateful to Seattle Prep for providing me with opportunities to make that happen. ROLL PREP forever and always.