Today is the final week for seniors after 4 years in Parkdale as I and many other seniors are making plans for what to do when we finally graduate and for our future going forward. So as the year is coming to an end, I think it a good time to reflect on the 4 years of being a student in Parkdale

When I initially came to Parkdale High via online due to the then-going COVID-19 pandemic , I wasn’t very happy since I had a bad experience in 8th grade in middle school and I was growing more grumpy due to reading too much bad news, I was also uncertain about how would virtual learning go since this is the first time for me and many students being on virtual learning. But the summer between after middle school and before high school gave me time to reflect and calm down so I was more relaxed while in virtual learning and looking back virtual learning while it had it flaws, was a pleasant experience as I got to stay home and not deal with the burden of being with annoying students or crowds of students in the hallways

In my sophomore year, I was initially anxious when I going to high school physically because of the COVID-19 pandemic so I spend most of the school year using a mask until COVID became less of a threat, in which I simply stopped using the mask, it was then I was doing services primally at the library so I can get services hours in time for graduation. The junior year is while uneventful also marked the beginning of preparations for what to do once I get out of high school since graduation was only a year so my parents were beginning to pressured me to start applying and try to look for work in the summer. 

In the senior year of high school, I begin to apply to 3 colleges, Bowie State, South Carolina, and Maryland to which I got accepted into Bowie and South Carolina, to which I have accepted Bowie because it was close to home and it had a concentration on animation which is particularly appealing since I want to become a animator. It is also when I file for FAFSA and try applying for scholarships so I can get money to pay for the tuition and other expenses. 

Overall, Parkdale was a great experience and while it is a shame to be leaving, I will try to apply to the lessons I have been given here for the rest of my life going forward.