“How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” – Winnie the Pooh

I have spent the bulk of my time at Leesville in room 240. In the constantly changing landscape of high school, The Mycenaean has been a constant. 

I joined Newspaper in the second semester of my sophomore year, and I’m so grateful I did. For the past five semesters, I have written everything from in-depth student spotlights and movie reviews to political pieces and satire. 

I’ve been a part of creating countless print editions — most recently, the Class of 2026 Senior Edition. 

The Mycenaean website has also been a labor of love for me this past year. As Website Editor, I have spent hours working to ensure our paper has a home to display our carefully curated projects. 

Before Newspaper, I never considered writing a hobby; I liked to write, but it was just something I did for an English assignment, minus a brief poetry phase during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Mycenaean gave me opportunities to collaborate, lead, and discover what my passions truly are.

Having the opportunity to write virtually whatever my heart desired allowed me to delve into my own creativity completely. It’s hard to show creativity in a classroom with rubrics and strict prompts, but in Newspaper, my voice is entirely my own. 

As a senior, my passion for writing has expanded beyond the classroom. In an effort for a little self-growth, I turned to journaling. For the past 160 days and counting, I have kept a careful record of my life. 

These entries serve as a map of my senior year—a collection of “lasts” that I wasn’t ready to let go of just yet.

Whether my voice is for the student body or just for me, I noticed something important: each voice serves the same purpose. Whether I was writing an article about school-wide events or I was hand-writing pages about my most sacred feelings, it is my way of preserving the past.

I realized now that I have been writing this for the version of myself that might forget the details and wonderful memories that made this chapter of life so formative. If I have learned anything in high school, it is that there are too many moments that are forgotten if you don’t write them down. There are too many memories to leave pages blank. 

I’ll keep writing to remember where I’ve been, but mostly, I’ll keep writing to figure out where my next chapter will lead me.