To My Amazing Class

We made it! We finished and are moving on. I hope that everyone feels accomplished because it is a big deal. I wanted to say goodbye, but that feels too final, you know? I would like to believe that we will all see each other, at least online, but I know that it is likely that we will fall out of touch for the most part. Sadly, no matter how much we promise, sometimes the end of senior year is goodbye. 

How do you say goodbye to a part of yourself? For that is what STM and our class is: 12 years is impossible to move on from. The inside jokes will also be hard because I won't have anyone on the 'inside' anymore. One sided jokes are no longer funny. I have read everyone else's farewell posts, and they remind me of a sign-book, which is a tradition at a camp I went to. The tradition is that for the last week, you carry around a small book, and give it to others. They write messages in it, then once you are leaving and on the way home you open it and read it. So, here it goes:

Abbie (the other Renee): You have stuck with me, and I KNOW that that alone is truly a feat in and of itself. Thank you for being such a great friend and for never giving up on me. Know that I will never give up on you. 

Izzy: Can you believe that we were once enemies? It feels like just yesterday that Mr. Lind forced us to ride up to Baton Rouge next to each other. One of my greatest regrets is not becoming friends with you sooner. I do, however, plan on keeping in touch through letters (and the quicker texts of course). I will miss talking to you in person. And I apologize for the scarf. 

Clara: Princeton is lucky to have you! I hope that you have fun with statistical physics, and remember that life is just as much about the friends as it is about the work. I hope you continue to flourish! 

Rikki: I wish we got to spend more time together because you seem super awesome, but it was not meant to be. I expect to hear great things about you though because I have always pegged you to be someone who achieves your goals. 

Erica: I wish you luck. I have not talked with you much, but you seem strong and brilliant. 

Adriana: Thank you for being such a great class president. Though you are defined as much more than that role, it is the way that I interacted with you most, and it showed me that you are a confident and calm person. I believe that you will do amazingly well at Tulane and can't wait to see where you go! 

Hunter: Though you have only joined the grade this year, you are an Integral part of it. You made math class more fun than when it was just Abbie and I, and your math aerobics still make me chuckle. The Business world needs to look out because you are going to take it by a storm. 

Ryn: I hope that you are successful in every way! Good luck with college!

Cami: It's been forever! We have been though so many years, and it flew by. Too fast. It feels like yesterday that Mrs. Saucier introduced us, yet here we are graduating! It feels surreal. 

Laura: It is so great to have gotten to know you better this last year, and I'm sorry that it didn't happen sooner! But, I also wasn't the same person freshman year as I am now, so maybe that was for the best. I wish you the best of luck in the coming years, and of course I would defend you for the suspencion- she was much more in the wrong than you. 

Leven: Sorry about the pencil. Good luck! 

Sophia: We've shared a lot of classes, but I don't really know you. You do, however go with the flow much better than I do, and I envy you just a little for that. So, the best of luck! 

Ms. King: Thank you for being the teacher that we needed this year! We needed a teacher to commiserate with us, to stay at STM though our entire year, and to keep us in check, and you did all three. I will miss you so much, and I will miss our crazy attempts to try and derail the class. 

Goodbyes :(

 I wanted to hop on the trend and say bye to everyone, and keep it as "mush-less" as possible. I’m late, but better late than never, I guess. I just hope I'm not so late that no one reads this, haha. <3

I'm so glad that I was able to bully Ms. King into letting me onto the blog, and I wanted to thank everyone for immediately including me in the polls and the goodbyes. It meant a lot.

Abbie - You have always been unfailingly kind and you are always so quick with a compliment, which means a lot. I'll never forget the laughs we shared during play rehearsal for Grease our freshman year with Nic L. I'll miss you very much and I hope Wheaton treats you well. 

Adriana - You are someone who I look at and think, "wow. she's got her life together." You have done so much for the Class of 2021 and I wanted to thank you for that. I really enjoyed working with you in civics last year, and I wish we could have gotten closer this year, I enjoy our talks. 

Camila - I'll miss seeing your face in math class. I was recently reminded of the fact that we have been in the same math class all four years, which I think is pretty impressive. During that time, you have always been so happy and energetic, even on days when things might not be going so great. 

Clara - I've always admired your work-ethic, especially in long-period religion. You always show up to class with a smile on your face, and even though we've had very few classes together, those classes were that much better because you were there pushing everyone to do their best. 

Erica - I’m so glad you got the wittiest girl award, I know how much you wanted it. Your snapchat stories never fail to make me laugh, and you are one of the funniest people I know. Even though we never got really close, I’m going to miss you! I can’t wait to see what you do at Loyola, and I can’t wait to watch you change the world. 

Gatherer - You are one of the most caring people I know. I appreciate your sense of humor, and I love watching you and Lydia interacting with each other. I remember at the beginning of the year hearing about the only male in AP English, Laura had mentioned that there was a guy in AP English, who “ruined the all girls vibe,” but she assured me that she could see you becoming one of the pals, and that’s exactly what you did. Even though I will miss you very much when we go our separate ways, I have a feeling that we’ll see each other frequently in the future. Thank you for the laughs, the last minute Calculus extra help, and the Popeye’s. I can’t wait for the $5 flight with 504meg to visit Catherine in NY for brunch.

Izzy - My person. I love you so so much, Iz. I’ll always remember our talks in Dr. Ramos’s advisory, labs in biology, shared looks in English when Tritico said something stupid, and the mutual celebration when I scored above a 65% on a chemistry test. Even though I’m honored that you would go through AP Chem all over again for me, I would never put you through that pain. Thank you for answering my phone calls and facetimes, and I’m so excited to see everything you achieve at Georgetown.

Laura - I don’t have to say goodbye cause you won’t be able to get rid of me even if you tried. I love you like crazy, Laurat_ <333

Renee - I have always admired your passion and determination to do well in school. Do amazing things at Alabama, and if we’re ever in town at the same time, I would love to meet up for coffee. 

Roni - You mean so much to me. You have been through so much and you still shine, and that's so inspiring to so many people. I love watching you interact with others, as the word "stranger" doesn't seem to be in your vocabulary. You treat everyone with the same enthusiasm that you would a close friend, which makes everyone feel so loved. I’m so happy you were in so many of my classes last year, and I have missed you like crazy on campus this year. Please keep in touch, and I do expect a brunch to be in the plans for the future. I love you, Roni, so so much. <3

Rikki - My favorite pisces. You have always been there when I needed someone to talk to. You're like my vault, and I hope you feel like you can talk to me, too. While I'm going to miss you very much while you're all the way in California, you earned it, and we'll only be a phone call away. I’m so happy that I got to know you and that we got close after last year. I agree, AP Chem definitely did the trick. Have fun at UCSD! (UC: Socially Dead)

Ryn - You seem like the kind of person to have goals, and I hope you achieve every single one. We haven’t really spoken a lot this year, but I’ll miss you and all of your random questions in bio. Good luck at 

Sofia - Even though we never got close, I would have loved to. You seem like such a nice and funny person. I’m so excited that you got into UGA, and you’ll have to promise me that you’ll keep Hunter out of trouble while y’all are in Georgia. 

504meg - I’ve said it once so I’ll say it again, I absolutely adore you. I’ll hate myself forever for not taking your class this year. I’m so glad to have gotten to know you, and working with you and Bentley on Women’s Club has been amazing. You are one of the nicest, most caring people I’ve met. I will miss junior year English so much. It always made my day better, especially days when I had just suffered through AP Chem. You have been my favorite teacher at St. Martin’s, no question, and I just wanted to say thank you for putting up with the 504meg fan club. I know we got a bit… invasive… at times, but you handled it beautifully, and I hope you know it was out of admiration. Thank you for putting up with me for two whole years, and thanks for never actually calling Frank on me. :) (and, unlike Hunter, I'd rather you didn't try to make me cry during your speech, I'll be wearing mascara)

- levo

My Goodbyes

Hopefully these don't have to be real goodbyes, but rather little send-offs before college. I hope to stay in contact with everyone here, but if we don't, then here's what I'd like to say to each of you before we all leave:

Rikki - Ah, Rikki. You already know much I love and appreciate you, or at least I hope you do. It’s still so surprising to me that we never really even talked until this year, considering how close we’ve gotten over the past couple months. You’d think we’d have been friends for years. I know you’ve had a rough stretch of time recently, though really just a rough high school experience in general, but I hope that I was able to lighten that load for you in any way, no matter how small. You’re a loyal friend, a great person, and I’m so happy that we got to know each other this year. I really have cherished the time we've had together, and I hope to add a lot more time to that before you leave. We will be staying in contact when you go all the way across the country, and while it’s far, I already know you’re going to do great things there, and great things after. Love you babe. Go save those fish.

Erica - You’re so beautiful. Genuinely. I know I always tell you that when I swipe up on your story, but it’s not me just humoring you. You are literally. So. Beautiful. Inside and out. I know you’ve been hurt a couple times by people who were too stupid to see your value and what they were missing out on, but the truth is, you don’t need them. The only people you need in your life are those who will encourage you and lift you up, and help you achieve the fullest of that massive potential that see in you. I never get involved in politics, but if you decide to pursue that career path, I’ll look into it just for you when you’re a rich and famous politician actually changing the world for the better instead of playing some game with social standing. You have my vote, sexy.

Abbie - Abbie, you’re just a very pure soul. You always say what’s on your mind, even if people won’t like it. Your opinions are so strong, and you really just have a great head on your shoulders. I really do value you as a friend, even if both of us are awful at responding to texts and calls. I’ve had some really deep talks with you over the years, mostly at ungodly hours of the morning after binge watching Rick and Morty, and I’ve come to find that we have the same views on pretty much everything. It’s really nice to have someone who I can peacefully debate with over technicalities that don’t even matter in the long run, as we all know that that’s what I like to do. I hope that we can become better at using our phones once we leave, as I’d love to stay in contact with you when we aren't able to see each other in person anymore. Have a great time at Wheaton. I know you’re going to be amazing at whatever you put your mind to :)

Leven - Like you said to me, there’s not much to say here, since I don’t think either of us could get rid of the other if we tried. Not that we would try <3

Hunter -  I think we all know how wild it is how quickly you fit into STM, despite only joining in senior year. You’ve become such an integral part of not only the school community, but also my friend group. You have a personality that I’ve never encountered before (in a good way, of course), but I’m so glad I did. Like you said in your post, an experience I had in your car was the basis for my personal essay, as it was the rawest emotion I had felt in a while. I’m glad to know I’ll always have a safe space with you, even if you do make inappropriately timed jokes and don’t always like the music I play. You’re going to go on to do some really great things once you leave here and have bigger opportunities. I fully plan on seeing you on tv one day for some technological invention, and being able to say “hey, I know that guy! I cried in his car multiple times!” Bottom line, keep doing what you’re doing. We’re all behind you and want to see you succeed.

Izzy - You are the most genuine person I’ve ever met, and that’s not an exaggeration. You are so kind to everyone you talk to, no matter who they are. I know I’ve said some really nasty things in front of you before, but you never join in; your response is always to see it from every person’s perspective, or to simply be sad that the world has bad parts and your friends aren’t always happy. Please never lose that kindness. It’s what makes you so special and such a beautiful person, inside and out. I get so happy every time you would text me about something, whether it be congratulating me on a volleyball game, or saying you’re sorry I had a negative experience if I posted a rant on the blog. I think getting to know you better and being friends with you this year has been good for my soul, honestly. I needed a little bit of genuine kindness this year, and I really appreciate that you were there to provide that for me. Never stop being you, because the world needs more people like you.

Catherine - Catherine. Oh Catherine. There’s so much I could say about you, but I’ll try to keep it brief. You are so strong. You’re an absolutely gorgeous person, inside and out, and even though the world keeps trying to push you down for some reason, you keep fighting back and making the most of it where you can. I want you to know that I’m always here for you, whether we’re both in Louisiana, or I’m in Tennessee and you’re in New York. I’m just a phone call away, whether you need help, or just want to talk about life in general. You are so much more than the troubles you’ve been through, and you’re going to absolutely thrive in New York. That city was basically built so that you could live there. I want you to continue to make the most out of bad situations, and to keep having such a big heart and beautiful soul. You’re really just such a sweetheart, and I hope you know that you have so many friends in your corner to help you with whatever you’re going through. Go have a great time in NYC, babe. Thrive for me.

Sofia - Hey Sofia! I don’t think we had spoken more than twice before we had English together this year, but you’re so sweet! I still don’t know you very well, but the parts that I’ve gotten to know are amazing. You just seem like such a down to earth and genuine person. You have a calming presence that a lot of people don’t possess, and I have the feeling that you would be a very good listener if I were to ever come to you with a problem. I hope you have an amazing time at UGA, and make a ton of friends that will compliment your personality and really strengthen and bring out your great qualities.

Camila - Camila, you are such a sweetheart. Even when people are mean to you (jokingly, of course. Apologies from me and Hunter), you’re never genuinely mean back. You have a nice presence/aura that allows people to feel comfortable around you, whether they know you or not. When I first came to STM, I was scared of most of our class, as they were all such unfamiliar personalities compared to the sheltered people at my old school. But even though I hardly talked to you back then, I remember thinking that you seemed very nice and open to conversation. I was just too socially anxious to ever start that conversation, so it’s a shame that we didn’t start to really talk until sometime last year. But I want you to know that no matter how much I may make fun of you, I do love having you as a friend, and I hope to see you go on to do amazing things.

Renee - Renee, we never really talked until this year. You often sat at my lunch table throughout all four years of high school, but I feel like I’ve never gotten to truly know you until senior year. Maybe it’s because we had our first classes together, or because we’ve both grown and matured over time, but I’m glad I got the chance to know you better. I’ve found that you’re extremely justice-driven, and hate to see things immoral happening. When I was in trouble with Adair and Sorrells, you always talked about how unfair it was, whether it be in person or on the blog. I want to let you know that I really appreciated that, because I felt like the staff was against me when I needed support, and having that support come from classmates that didn’t know me particularly well was very reassuring. I hope you have a great time at college, and I'm looking forward to seeing your name on a makeup brand one day, if that’s the career path you decide to follow.

Clara - Clara, I’m sure you hear this all the time, but your work ethic is absolutely stunning. I’ve never known someone who puts so much effort into their school work before, and it definitely paid off. Congrats on Princeton, if I haven’t already said that. It’s so incredible, and I know you’re going to do great things during and after college. I really admire how many things you are able to juggle at once- maintaining great grades, swimming, multiple instruments, quiz bowl, etc. While it is extremely impressive, I want you to remember to take breaks. When you’re in college, it’s all the more important to take care of yourself, as you won’t have family right there to help you along the way. That means no more passing out in the shower. If you ever need help, or just a little encouragement, feel free to text me! I hope you have a great time at Princeton :)

Adriana - Adriana, I’d like to thank you for everything you’ve done for our class this year. I know you sometimes felt unwelcome or unwanted in our class because of your online status, but the people who made you feel like that aren’t worth your time. I saw how much you did for us behind the scenes- planning our retreat, running the school's Instagram and making the college congratulations posts for all of the seniors, helping organize senior chapel, etc. Despite being online and being shamed for it by certain people, you didn’t give up on our class or tell us to figure it out ourselves, and the people who matter will recognize and appreciate that. I want you to know that you’re extremely talented and dedicated to everything you do, and your efforts didn't go unnoticed. Keep up the great work, and have a fantastic time with whatever you plan on doing in college!

Deryn - Deryn, you have a very strong will, and I know that whatever you decide to do, you will do it and do it well. We haven’t talked much since you’ve been online, but when we saw each other at senior chapel, it was like we just picked right back up where we left off. I love the memories I have of ranting for a few hours on FaceTime with you, and then just sitting and working in silence while we listened to music. While I wouldn’t call it having a study buddy, it was a great way for us to get our work done but also enjoy each other’s company. I really appreciated those calls, as they helped me decompress for a while. I know you’ll love Amherst and find some amazing people there, and I’d love to hear all about it when you do.

Ms. King - Ms. King, I hope you know how much every single one of us loves and appreciates you as a teacher. While you didn’t let us play Kahoot nearly as much as we would have liked, this year’s English class was the most stress free one I have ever had at STM (besides Tritico’s, but honestly, that barely counted as a class), and I don’t think there could have been a better teacher or class to spend my senior year with. Thanks for always being available for us, whether it be for class help, or just to talk in general. We all really appreciate you being there for us, as the staff situation this year has been so chaotic. I hope you continue to enjoy teaching, and have a great time with the class of 2022! Thanks for everything <3