Farewell

By: Mariah Andersen-Price

That’s it, the curtain is finally closing. There is no encore for this stage in my life, the drip finally stops, and this is where it ends. Huh... High school is ending; my public education is done. I’m finally moving on to my dream, the biggest dream that I have been working towards since the second grade. I’m starting a new chapter; hell, a new book is starting. I’m finally stepping out of the city of my childhood and moving on to bigger and better things. However, I’m going to miss the connections here, the people I know, my family, my friends, and the adults on campus whom I’ve made meaningful connections with.

I'm going to miss Ms. Shabazz, who gave me a person to talk to. Ms. Gutierrez, who gave me a person to listen to too. Mr. Brown, who gave me a person to learn from. Mr. Bugg, helped me make invaluable connections. Mrs. Walker, who has been there for me every step of the way throughout my education. Mr. Hop, who gave me someone to laugh with, and Mr. Goodell, who gave me a space to stay. Thank you to Mrs. Sandoval for helping me navigate college applications and senior year. To Patron for making me feel included and becoming my friend on such short notice, to Kae for sticking through the tough times with me, and to John for being my best friend and sticking with me even when I was annoying and being a shoulder to lean on.

’m going to miss the walks I take to get home; how relaxing and long they are, and the mornings when I run to the bus stop because the bus arrived early and scared me. I’m going to miss the talks John and I have walking to the bus stop, the comfortable silence, the sitting and waiting at the bus stops, and the shenanigans we get up to.

I’m going to miss my routines, the memories I made, and the people I’m with when I leave this school and this town. Building new relationships as strong as the ones I have is going to be hard, but I will make it fine. Well, it’s finally time for me to close this book, this chapter, this piece of my life, and leave it in the past. Thank you, high school, for the past four years of extending my education and proving to me that I need to get out of Fresno even faster. Well then, goodbye Fresno High!