by Michelle Lee
As the school year is coming to a close, seniors are finishing up their last moments and making their last memories as students of NS.
“Every single day after school would get out or after a basketball game or after practice,” said senior Cole Mickel, “we were all together and none of us wanted to go home, so we’d always just find something to do. I’m going to miss that a lot.”
While life has been hard at times—and as high school isn’t really an easy step in life to go through for young adults—in the end, the memories and people are what makes it worth the most.
“Going to school here has not always been the best of times,” said senior Adam Cox, “but I’ve met some people here that I wouldn’t trade for the world. The people here are amazing.”
As seniors prepare to leave the school and move on with life, mixed emotions come into play.
“It’s exciting, but then at the same time, it’s kinda scary,” said senior Graciee Christiansen, “because you don’t know what you’re going to be doing next year vs if you’re just here, you’re here.”
High school is the last place young adults go through before they are sent into the world to learn for themselves—the last four years to enjoy life to the fullest possible with few worries.
“[Enjoy] the day-to-day things,” said senior Zach Allred. “I’ll probably look back and I’ll be like, ‘Man, I wish I was still there.’”
Seniors have worked hard through their years in school. Now, they look back and find things they wish they had done, or something they loved.
“Make your time count,” said senior Shalyce Cook. “A lot of people say it flies by, and in the moment it does go slow, but I would get involved and do as much as you can because you’ll miss out on things if you don’t take the opportunities to be involved and participate. That’s where all the memories are made.”
While grades are an important part of a high school career, be sure to find the fun in the midst of everything.
“I always stressed about grades,” Mickel said, “but when it comes down to it, have fun. It’s like your last four years to have fun. That’s like when you’re going to be with your friends and then after that, everything changes.”
After spending a lot of time with teachers and staff members in the past four years, seniors have found that there is an amazing staff that works at NS that has made an impact on their lives.
“[Mrs. Revoir] was always such a positive teacher,” Cook said. “She was always involved and I felt like I could just talk about anything with her.”
However, out of the staff Cook has come in contact with, Revoir wasn’t the only one that made an influence in her life.
“[Nan] was always so supportive and there for everything and she was willing to do anything for anyone,” Cook said.
But Cook wasn’t the only one that has had staff members impact her life.
“Mr. Barlow is one of the teachers that you know just genuinely cares about all his students,” Cox said, “and he is one of those teachers you always know you can turn to.”
Being a small school provides students with the connection to get to know their teachers on a personal level.
“Bill [Pollock] still asks me how I’m doing and what I’m doing in my life,” Allred said. “He’ll always be your friend.”
Being connected to the teachers and staff at NS isn’t an uncommon situation.
“Coach Bird treats everyone like his own kids,” Mickel said. “He’s probably been the biggest influence on me, trying to help me do better and be better.”
Like Cook, Mickel couldn’t choose only one.
“Heather Allred helped me a ton just even with helping me graduate,” Mickel said. “She’s set everything up for me and helped me a ton along the way and been the one that’s gotten me on a schedule.”
While the time spent as students at NS seems long in the moment, it’ll go by fast.
“If you get involved and start doing stuff, you’ll have more fun throughout high school,” Christiansen said. “Those might be your only memories, but you’ll still have memories of people that you’re friends with.”