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Thank You Class of ‘13. Time to wish the Class of lucky ‘13 good luck.

Thank+You+Class+of+%E2%80%9813.+Time+to+wish+the+Class+of+lucky+%E2%80%9813+good+luck.

w.KylewalkercolumnphotoThe 2012-2013 school year was, as most years tend to be, an eventful one for not only this school but also the nation and the world. The United States reeled after a horrific shooting in the quiet town of Newtown, CT just a few months after one in Aurora, CO; Barack Obama won the only presidential election we will witness in high school, and Psy’s “Gangnam Style” became a global phenomenon and the most-watched video on YouTube. Even at this school, changes occurred on a smaller scale with a shift in curricula due to implementation of RISE standards, the resignation of Superintendent Jeff Swensson and the addition of more lights at the Homecoming dance.

It was indeed a momentous year—some may even say a crazy one, at that—which is one of the reasons I am grateful to have had the leadership and mentoring of the Class of 2013. With the Senior Class for guidance, students of this school have earned a number of State championships in sports, performing arts and communications; achieved recognition in various clubs and activities; and had an all-around great time while doing so.

The seniors have served as our mentors in the ways that seniors usually do for their respective schools, but this year, they went above and beyond their traditional senior duties to be leaders at all times: when we couldn’t figure out how to do our math homework, when we needed advice in our personal lives, when the world became overwhelming—because they know better than most that the world can be a crazy place.

After all, these are the students who watched with innocent first-grader eyes at the beginning of their schooling as the World Trade Center crumbled to the ground on Sept. 11, 2001. Since then, they’ve seen forces of tragedy and disaster, love and providence at work as they shaped our lives, as the world changed—sometimes brutally, sometimes rapidly, always unpredictably. Even their graduation takes on somber undertones in the wake of yet another calamity that took place at the Boston Marathon on April 15.

So here’s to the kids whose school years are not defined by catastrophe. Here’s to the kids who have been learning for years that the world may not be a nice place but have tried to make it a little nicer for the underclassmen and will continue to do so for others once they leave this school. Here’s to the kids who are old enough to remember when the world changed forever again and again and have proved throughout the year that they are old enough to lead us now, through the good times as well as the bad, by example, by mentoring us and by simply being friends to all.

Thirteen may not traditionally be a lucky number, but I wish each and every one of you the best of luck in whatever you do after high school, whether you go to college, join the military, join the workforce or take a gap year. You will forever have the gratitude of the current juniors, sophomores and freshmen, and I promise on all of our behalf that we will do our best next year and even afterward to make you proud.

 

Kyle Walker is a reporter for the HiLite. The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach her at [email protected].

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