I can still remember my first day walking into Regina as a freshman. It was the day after eighth grade graduation, and I was starting Presentational Speaking summer school with Ms. Weinand. I went to a Chicago Public grade school; therefore, I knew absolutely no one at Regina. This made my transition harder and I definitely thought more than once, “This is going to be a long four years”.

However, my high school years definitely did get better. I made great new friends, kept up my grades, and started dancing again, something I am very passionate about.

High school has had its ups and its downs, and even though some of my classes felt excruciatingly long, the last four years went by more quickly than I could ever imagine. Now I’m getting ready to take my last finals and graduate, walking out of Regina’s doors for the last time. I find myself reflecting on the last four years. There are things I will miss about Regina that I know I could never find in college. But at the same time, I am really looking forward to the future.

What will I miss?

I will definitely miss the sense of community Regina has with teachers and students. I will miss being able to try new activities without being afraid to fail. I will miss dressing up in themes for gnimocemoh or pep rallies. I may not have always liked wearing plaid skirts and polos, but maybe one day I will think I have nothing to wear and even miss wearing a uniform! Overall, I will just miss the familiarity of this school.

What am I looking forward to?

I am nervous about college, but also feel ready to transition to the next chapter of my life. In college, I am excited to have a sense of independence. I’m excited to make tons of new friends. I am looking forward to taking classes that interest me and that will teach me what I need to know for my future career. It will be crazy going to a school with thousands of people instead of a couple hundred girls, but I know I will get used to it. I will definitely look back on my years at Regina and smile when I think about the amazing memories I had. Graduating will be bittersweet, because while it is hard to say goodbye to high school, I am also very excited for what the future holds for me as a college student.