In 2019 on the first day of freshman year, I wrote an introductory letter to my English 1 Honors teacher in which I discussed my family background, core work habits and the goals I planned to adopt for high school and beyond graduation. 

Now, in 2023, as I approach the last few moments of my high school journey, I look back on that letter with great sentiment and nostalgia. 

In the message I wrote as a freshman, I proposed three goals to achieve by the end of my four years: join the Associated Student Body [ASB], make the varsity volleyball team as a sophomore and finish high school with an International Baccalaureate [IB] diploma.

However, when I entered sophomore year, my aspirations started to deviate from my original plan. 

Instead of pursuing ASB, I enrolled in Journalism 1 — a prerequisite class to our school’s newspaper, The Accolade. 

I always enjoyed writing, and after losing two ASB class cabinet elections, I signed up for the course to expand my writing skills and eventually join the award-winning newspaper. 

After completing the curriculum as a sophomore, I became a staff reporter for the publication the following year and discovered my passion for sports writing. I eventually worked my way to the sports editor position for my senior year. 

I also began my IB journey as a junior but quickly became overwhelmed with juggling my academics and a load of extracurricular activities, so I ultimately decided not to pursue the diploma as a senior. 

Reflecting back on it, though I did not fulfill my freshman year agenda, I am proud of myself for maintaining an open mind about other programs and activities on campus. 

The Accolade helped me discover my knack for sports writing, leading me to consider a career in either sports journalism or public relations. 

Likewise, though the IB experience did not work out for me, I’m grateful I had the opportunity to take exclusive classes that expanded my knowledge and heightened my curiosity. 

In terms of my athletic goals, I made the varsity volleyball squad as a sophomore, but little did I know of the accomplishments my teammates and I would achieve by my senior year. 

I served as the captain during my junior and senior seasons, leading my team to second place in the Freeway League with the best league record my coach has ever had, and the 2022 CIF quarterfinals, which the program has reached only one other time in school history. 

I cherish my senior volleyball season as one of my most fulfilling high school experiences, and I am beyond grateful that I decided to try out for the program as a freshman. 

In a couple of months, I’ll be moving out of the house and beginning my college journey — a chapter of my life that arrived much sooner than I anticipated.

The biggest lesson I learned from high school is that sometimes things don’t always go as planned, and that’s OK. 

During my time at Sunny Hills, the initial aspirations I created and expectations I made for myself shifted and led me down a future career path I had not thought of before.

I couldn’t be happier with how I spent the last four years at Sunny Hills, and I’m excited to enter college with an open attitude and a new game plan — like I did in 2019 — for the next four years of my life.