A Senior Farewell
By: Kelsie Manugo
In my three and a half years at Princess Anne, I’ve experienced many ups and downs. One thing that has always been a constant is my pride for my school, whether it’s the joy I feel representing it when stepping onto the field hockey turf or the relationships I have made with both students and teachers alike that have fostered immense growth in my character. I didn’t always love the school as much as I do now. My transition into freshman year was really difficult; however, with age, I now appreciate the community that Princess Anne provides to its students.
To freshmen, even though it sounds cliché, get involved. Being on a sports team completely transformed my experience at PA, I was able to know more people across different grade levels and make friendships that have allowed me to be the person I am today. High school sports and the camaraderie it instills in individuals is something every person should experience. I would also say that it is important to get to know your teachers and classmates, as you will be stuck with them for four years. Last but not least, go to football games, dances, after-school events and activities, and other sports events. Some of my most prominent memories are from the homecoming dances and football games.
As for academic advice, I can only urge underclassmen to try their hardest in what they think they need to focus on. Everyone has a different life goal or career they wish to pursue, so they may prioritize different things than academics and sports. Whatever you are passionate about, put your all into it. It will fulfill you and open up future opportunities, just as the effort I put into field hockey has allowed me to pursue it at the collegiate level. As this chapter of my life closes, I look back with some regrets, having not done enough to make the most of my high school years. However, instead of being stuck in the past, I hope that future generations of PA students will have similar or even better experiences as they go through high school; I wouldn’t trade mine for anything.
Senior Reflection
By Alex Adams
When I first signed up for Journalism 1, my only thought was that the class was an “Easy A” or that I was just going to use it as a study hall, but as I look back on that day in Freshman year in the back of the auditorium, I can say all my years of Journalism were much more meaningful and impactful than I thought it could be. The more I reminisce about my 3 years in the class, the more my mind brings me back to the same realization. I didn’t appreciate the time I had not just in Journalism but in high school entirely. Some of the best memories I’ve had in high school have been in room 210. I miss the random days throughout my sophomore year when Aiden, Christian, Amari, and I would talk about sports the whole class or in my senior year when Brighton and I worked on our basketball video news story. I always had an inkling that I wanted to do something sports-related after high school, but journalism helped me discover it. It’s more than the memories in the class that I’ll miss, it’s also the feeling of working hard on a story and it goes on to get published. It’s such a rewarding experience to see your name in “print” on the page. With this also comes the connections you grow with editors, classmates, and interviewees throughout creating an article. I hope to continue to grow connections and relationships with people on my next path in life.
In the fall, I will be attending the University of Missouri to study sports journalism, more specifically sports broadcasting. I hope to work for ESPN or another major sports industry to be able to analyze, talk, or be involved in sports commentary in the future. I feel very prepared for this challenge and next step through the work I did in journalism. Even if I’m not writing or editing stories, I will continue to use the lessons and experiences into my next task in the journalism field.
To the next group of journalism students, be sure to look around once a while and appreciate where you are; realize that these are the moments that you’ll look back on in a year and wish you had more time in. I’ve grown to learn not to cry because it’s over but smile because it happened. I’m forever grateful for the memories and relationships that I’ve made in high school; it’s truly something I’ll never forget.
