My four years at Oak Hill High school

I’m going to talk about my four years here at Oak Hill High School. In 2018, I was going into high school as a freshman. On the first day of school when I came off the bus and entered the school the teachers directed me to the auditorium. They showed us a slideshow on how the grading system works and they were talking about the responsibilities as a freshman. I felt overwhelmed. There were a lot of new faces, new teachers, new routines, and I had to get used to 80 minute classes. I liked learning about flip class. It was pretty fun working out with my friends, and getting to learn about workout routines and using equipment. Also writing to our future selves so when we are seniors we can read them and learn from them. 

In 2019, my sophomore year, the first semester was pretty normal. Second semester covid hit. This was a huge change for all of us. We had to wear masks when we left our homes and stay six feet away from others and we had to use hand sanitizer constantly. The school district decided to go with remote learning for the rest of the school year. There were no spring activities or sports. There was more confusion about exceptions and directions. Remote learning was difficult for me. The difficult part was getting all my work done and feeling confident enough to ask for help when needed. Because of covid lots of restaurants and entertainment venues were closed. As a family we enjoyed games including clue, yahtzee, monopoly, and uno. You would find us sitting around the dining room table laughing as we played these games. We watched movies on Netflix, and had campfires. We were unable to see family and friends and that was very difficult especially around the holidays. 

In 2020, my junior year we were allowed to go back to school but with masks and we had to social distance. We were in different cohorts, some went to school while some were at home, some went everyday and some went fully remote. We had more interactions with teachers which helped me a lot. The Junior year workload itself was very challenging. I would say that was my most difficult year. There were no dances and no fun assemblies. My personal relationship was becoming demanding and more time consuming. 

In 2021, my senior year. Classes were more normal but still a lot of work. We had essays upon essays to write. My favorite subject was art class as I feel I am a more creative person. Dances and spirit week came back along with all of the sports. I started a job at Dunkin. It was fun at first but became a drama zone. Still there currently because it is close to home. My personal relationship drama continued until March of this year. Until I decided enough was enough and I deserve better. I can’t believe I’m graduating. I’ve been waiting for this moment and it’s finally here.

Lastly, my last dance recital will be in June of this year. I’ve been dancing for 15 years, I’ve done Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Acrobatics, and Hip Hop. But I will end with Tap and Jazz. One of my favorite dances was a tap routine to Michael Jackson’s song “They Don’t Care About Us”. The costume was a military blue jacket with gold buttons and black shorts. This was an audience favorite. I met my best friend through dance. We’ve been friends for ten years now. And I will end today with my message to you. Don’t let others bring you down or treat you badly. Put yourself first and do things that make you happy. Never stop reaching for your goals and always aim high. My goal was to graduate high school and that time is finally here. In school I tried my hardest and made sure I succeeded. You have control of your destiny and make the best of it.

“Gradution 2017” by Nottingham Trent University is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.