Seniors, it’s official! We’re halfway done with our final year at FDR. As the year almost comes to an end, each and every one of us will go on with our different paths and explore more options in our future. Though our time at FDR was limited, we each had an opportunity to grow up from the 2020 middle school kid to a full adult in 2024. We experienced moments that will never be forgotten with many of our friends and bonded over certain classes that we had with each other. Therefore, we should appreciate the moments we all still have with one another, before the time runs out, and we walk past the stage with our diplomas. Yes, leaving behind is sad, but it is worth coming to school and being prepared to move forward into the world that will soon be our own. Throughout the school day, I had a chance to ask seniors how they felt about being almost done with senior year. I asked each of them the same question, “How do you feel that we were halfway through our final year?”

“I’m so excited to leave, and I’m looking forward to graduation and prom, but I am sad to leave my friend behind.”  – Honor Society co-president Arzo Abdulqadir

“Not excited, just looking forward to college.”-Cathy Li 

“I enjoyed my time here, but it’s time for me to move on.” – William Ho

“I feel sad because now that we are halfway done, to me it means that I only have a little amount of time left to have fun with my friends in school which makes me sad.” -Jennifer Montano  

“Tiring but worth it as it is the start of second semester, I know in the end the reward is to be graduating and achieve other things in college.”  Co- vice president Anjie He

“I’m super bittersweet about us finishing the first semester. I’m really excited to be one step closer to graduating and moving onto college, but at the same time, it’s pretty scary to realize I have actual responsibilities now.” Co-Treasurer Shirly Leung 

All of these responses are different but similar at the same time. All of them are happy and appreciative about entering high school, but are either sad, or feel prepared to leave for college. Now the next step for our lives is to keep on working hard, so that we can all be happy when we are old enough to start being independent. Our lives are just beginning! We have still yet to explore the real world, but I know for a fact that all of us will succeed with a bright future.