by Maggie Rellihan

Hugging people that I’ve known for years, sobbing in the arms of my loved ones, seeing the people around me that seem so ready to move on, hearing a familiar voice echoing words of respect- all while my knees are buckling in place.

This is how I picture myself on graduation.

Graduation is supposed to be a time of happiness and pride; but for me, I dread the haunting date. Don’t get me wrong, it is absolutely nothing against the graduation process and I know it’s just another step necessary to take in my life; but, I mean, leaving STA after school can even be hard sometimes. I won’t be able to honk goodbye to my friends as I leave the parking lot, have the ability to befriend any student in the entire school, or spend countless hours on my “netty” in college.

As my senior year “deadline” approaches, I can’t help but remember and panic about all of the things I am going to miss so much. Pep rallies will never be the same without Bailey Whitehead and all of spirit club. I think I will break down into tears next year when I see pictures of Sion games where the whole student body dresses to theme. All of the yard days, fundraisers, plays, musicals, assemblies, masses (the closing song always being sung the loudest), dodgeball in the quad, free periods in Drummond’s office, Frosh Fest, sports, dances, mixers, clubs, publications, advisory and being friends with EVERYONE simply because we are a sisterhood, are reasons why I simply cannot leave this fine Academy in four short months.

Obviously, knowing I have to leave this school has taken its toll on me. At this point, however, it’s not just leaving STA…It’s having to go off to college to be on my own. I am so scared for the day that I have to move into my dorm and face the awkwardness of meeting my roommate. I am sure I will eventually make friends, but it’s the idea of starting all over again that scares me. I am pretty confident that all this studying I’ve done at STA will help prevent total failure in my classes. I know for a fact I will get lost…a lot. I pray that I can stick to one major every night before I go to bed. And I guess if I hate the school I am at, I can always transfer…but who wants that?

Well, I guess I will find out next year.

All this worry and stress connects back to May 19, 2013- the date of graduation. All I can do is live it up for the rest of my senior year and soak in all the things and people I have grown so close to, and care about so much. STA has made such an impact on me that I hate to see that the end is so near.