By Lindsay Korman
It’s hard to believe that there are only a few months left in my high school journey. It feels like just yesterday that I first entered High School East as an intimidated freshman. I remember feeling nervous that I wouldn’t be able to find my way, and I genuinely thought that “Freshman Friday” was a real thing. This sense of fear, however, was accompanied by an immense sense of freedom. On a smaller scale, I was finally able to carry a backpack around the school, and I was actually on time to all of my classes for the first time in three years. This growth of freedom was pale in comparison to the strong sense of independence that immediately began to grow within me as soon as I walked through the doors of High School East.
Even though I have always done my work and been a strong student, I can’t help but attribute my work ethic to some of the amazing teachers in this school. On the first day of ninth grade, I stayed up doing homework later than I ever had before thanks to Mrs. Cullen’s AP Human Geography class. Although this situation was extremely stressful at the time, it enabled me to develop time management skills that will I continue to use throughout my entire educational career. Without a doubt, Mrs. Cullen ended up becoming one of my favorite teachers; this is not only because she did an amazing job teaching the information in all three classes that I had her for, but also because she cared greatly for her students and wanted them to succeed. I am so grateful for all of the teachers in this school who pushed me not only to be a better student, but also a better person.
One of the best opportunities that I was given during my high school career was the role of World News Editor for the school newspaper. I was able to combine my interest in writing with my desire to learn more about the world. This position enabled me to freely write my own opinion on topics that I usually would not have looked into before. I am now more aware of what is going on in the world, and my interest in current events has grown in the past year. I hope to continue utilizing what I learned through this position in the future.
With graduation quickly approaching, I can’t help but grow sadder that I will be leaving the town that has been my home for eighteen years. I am dreading the thought of saying goodbye to my friends, even though I know that we have built friendships that will last a lifetime. However, I am extremely excited to create a new “home” at Binghamton University for the next four years of my life. I know that the lessons I have learned in the HSE community will guide me to success and happiness not only in college, but also for the rest of my adult life.
