Four years of chaos, stress, smiles, failure, tears, regret and achievement. I am happy to say that I have survived high school. Although it seemed like an eternity, senior year has gone by faster than what I expected. Throughout my high school career there are a couple things I learned.

People will hate for no reason.

The first two years of high school I witnessed people bullying other individuals. Belittling someone because they felt like it. Using private twitter accounts to bash people who had done nothing to them. Intentionally hurting people’s feelings and lowering their self-esteem. But I also saw those victims get back up and fend for themselves. Which is what I learned. There are people who will not like you in the real world, but you cannot let them define your happiness. Only YOU can determine that, by ignoring the hateful comments, and having these people motivate you.

Do not let anything distract you from doing schoolwork.

As a sophomore, I did not think about the consequences of slipping up in a class. I was working almost 40 hours a week and going to sleep at 3 in the morning. I reached a point where I had to decide how much I could actually take on, especially with trying to balance AP classes and work. It taught me how to manage my time and work harder in school. However, it also taught me that no matter how important grades are, there needs be a balance between schoolwork and time for oneself.

Friends come and go. Real ones stay.

As I matured through the years, the individuals closest to me today tagged along through the four years of this journey. They helped me become the person I am today. And I thank them for that. Omar, Jannet, Jessica, Edith, Luciano and Giovanna. These are the people who have been there for me since the beginning. These are the people who I’ve grown with. Who have motivated me. Who have pushed me to be a better version of myself. The people who have never failed me in times of need. And now that we have almost reached our destination, we will be going our separate ways. But I know that wherever we go, each one of us will be successful.

Looking back at all the memories with the people I love the most and finishing one of the biggest milestones of our lives together is the greatest feeling in the world. And I will never forget all the laughs that we shared through these four years.