We’ve nearly made it. Seven semesters down, one to go. The last three-and-a-half years cannot possibly be defined in three or four well chosen adjectives. I’ve experienced the full gamut of emotions over my time at Bethany and I am sure each student would agree upon careful reflection. It is easy to focus only on the extremes of past; those are the things that easily stick in the mind. But when I look back at my time in high school, I want to take into account all that characterized it: All the ups, downs and everywhere in between that have made me who I am now.
High school, contrary to popular opinion, has not exactly been a blur. Most say where have the last four years gone? or I can’t believe I’m a senior. I don’t hold any of these sentiments. The last three-and-a-half years have felt no shorter or longer than they should. I can distinctly remember multiple events throughout my Bethany career that prove each year did happen.
What is interesting about all of these events that I remember is they all have one theme: friends. None of my memories have anything to do with me doing something alone. Even traditionally solitary acts such as studying for a big test or working through especially difficult homework only make it into my memory if they were done with other people. Whether I was memorizing The Chart for Old Testament with my freshman friends or wading through derivatives and integrals in CAM with my calculus compatriots, there was always a sense of unity. We are all in this together so we might as well struggle together too.
My achievements at Bethany can’t be only credited to my work, either. I have garnered a few individual academic and athletic awards but those pale next to our soccer team’s back-to-back regional championship victories during my junior and senior years. That was truly something special and it wasn’t only because of the team that we had. We had a great team, with a great group of guys and we worked hard everyday to get better, but what was really special was how the Bethany community embraced us, during my junior year especially. Every game at that tournament was played at Newton Park in Laville but we could count on having the home-field advantage as the current Bethany students and many alumni showed up in force to cheer us on. That was one of the most humbling experiences of my life. It showed me that nothing really matters if you don’t have the support of those around you.
I have made a distinct effort this year to spend as much time as possible with those closest to me. If I could give one word of advice, here it is: Arrangements can always be made so that you can do something fun with your friends. Don’t let other things get in the way of going to do of doing something crazy and making memories with those around you. I went to eight Chicago Fire soccer games this year and I nearly always had friends come along with me. That meant I had to make sacrifices (yes, those sacrifices sometimes involved homework) but they were well worth it. In short, don’t let your school life negatively affect your social life. Go to Chicago for a weekend, stay up late playing video games, or just go to a nice place and talk for a while. It doesn’t really matter, just keep those closest to you at the top of your priorities.