I didn’t love high school. What!? Me? The Student Body President!? No way! Early mornings, grades, standardized tests, rules, repetition, and repeat. You can see my point. But, if you look past some of these things, there is something truly special about this place. People, including myself, often overlook the magic that putting 1600+ teens into the same building every day creates: community.
After spending the last four years here, I have realized the true impact and power this school has. Whether it’s a Player’s production with students spending hours rehearsing and building sets and costumes, a sports team practicing every day, Science Olympiad taking over Mrs. O’Bannon’s room every Lunch & Learn, or The Merionite staff staying in the school at night working and reaching out to people who procrastinate their articles (guilty), LM is always open, and there are so many great people doing extraordinary things together.
I see this beautiful community-building phenomenon everywhere at this school—from the hallways to extracurriculars and everything in between. People can be themselves with a variety of different interests and ideas. We are told that we get taught from 7:30 to 2:40, but in my eyes, the real value is learning from and
being there for each other along this crazy journey. Despite these unprecedented times, we have collectively continued to persist and push each other to improve.
The Class of 2023 is truly special. Despite the many ups and downs we faced throughout the years, we were able to weather this beautiful and messy storm of high school as one. And although I may not have “loved” high school, I enjoyed working and spending time with each and every one of you. Be proud of yourself, Class of 2023, and your accomplishments. Continue to stay true to yourself, show strong character, and contribute to a community that will give you all what you have all given me.
