Today is my last day of High School. For the last four years I have been looking forward to this, the day I would finally be done and could move away to college and start a new life. Sitting here now I can see how lucky I am and how much my time here has changed me. I am so grateful for the experiences and memories I made while going to Righetti. It’s so bitter sweet to write this and share my experiences knowing it’s almost over, but it’s also exciting. To all the incoming freshman as well as sophomores, juniors, and rising seniors that still a have a little time left, make the most of it. Your time here is going to fly by so fast, and I’m sure everyone has heard that a million times but it’s so true. You need to be present and open to trying new things and meeting new people. Just have fun. These next few years are about finding yourself and figuring out who you want to be.

I asked a few of my friends if they had to give advice to incoming freshman what would they tell them. Here are their answers…

David Beas- “Push yourself out of your comfort zone and do things you wouldn’t normally do.”

Lisa Provost- “Build work ethic, you will need it for the rest of your life and being lazy does nothing for you.”

Shay Valadez- “Don’t make academics your whole life, have fun going to as many school events and activities as you can and go out with friends.”

Freddie Esparza- Be yourself and enjoy your time here.”

Brandon Bernal- “Spend time with your friends outside of school and enjoy those moments.” 

Jun Anselmo- “Don’t die.”

Emily Macias- “Make sure you are organized from the beginning and have an academic plan with all the classes you need to take and don’t slack on your work.”

Dylan Merriken- “Take your time, have fun, don’t stress about everything, it’s only 4 years.” 

Mason Schmid- “Don’t run anywhere, have fun and take it all in and to not worry too much about school”

Dominic Mendez- “Just be cool with everyone, don’t have beef with no one and just make lots of friends, not just a few.”

Cinthia Chivara- “Have Fun. The high school years will fly by. Be intentional about making memories and having fun. Be the person who cheers for their team, also make wise choices, and lastly get out of your comfort zone. Try classes and programs that you might not normally be interested in.”

Angel Botello- “Take AP and concurrent enrolment classes it’s worth it” 

Angel Durazo- “Try new things.”

Jakob Davidson- “Be happy.”

Emily Jordan- “Make good friends. High school is going to be tough and at times painful, but having true friends to encourage you and lift you up during those hard times makes it so much better. Having genuine people to do stuff with is so uplifting and really makes you appreciate life a little more. I wish I had found good friends sooner”

Tyon Hicks- “Stay true to yourself, don’t change for anyone unless it’s a bad habit.”

Jordyn Rae- “BE YOURSELF. No matter how cliché the statement may be, it is so true. You will find so many more genuine, long-lasting friends when they love you for who you really are!”