Graduation is a bittersweet moment. High school is finally coming to and end, and college is right around the corner. All that hard work is behind you, and a whole new journey awaits you. The last days of high school are exciting because you are finally ready for a change. You are ready for the moment they call your name at graduation, and you walk across the stage to receive your diploma. You feel like you are on top of the world, and no one can bring you down.Take a deep breath. Know that this is only the beginning.

Make new connections, but never forget who stood by your side through those tough moments. The friends who wiped your tears and assured you that everything was going to be okay are the ones who are going to stick by your side through thick and thin. You will make a lot of new friends, but don’t forget your old ones.

Keep your loved ones close. In times of need they will only be a phone call away. You can always count on your family to have your back. Sometimes the definition of family is not the connection by blood, but through experiences. Through time we tend to rely on some more than others. You come to realize that your best friend from pre-school is now like your sibling. It will be heartbreaking saying your goodbyes, and wishing you were going down the same path after high school.

High school was fun for many, and for others, it was pure torture. Now everyone will go their own way, and discover life on their own. Some choose college, others serve our country and some go straight into the workforce, but no matter where you end up, it will sure be a change.

No more waking up at 6 am and rushing to get to the nearest Dunkin before everyone else does. Now you get to make your own decisions, hopefully wise ones. You get to explore the world around you, and enjoy the little things in life. Get out of your comfort zone. The only way to grow is to experience new things. It doesn’t matter whether you were a jock, a nerd, a geek, or a drama queen, everyone is on an equal playing field now, and you can be whatever you want to be.

Dream. They say that if you wish hard enough for something it eventually comes true. As kids we all had a dream of growing up and become someone extraordinary. We wanted to be astronauts, princesses and even the President of the United States of America. As we grow up, we lose the part of ourselves that dream. We tend to only see the aspect of money in a career, instead of going after what we love to do.

Prom and graduation are one of the last things you get to do all together before going separate ways, so enjoy the moment while they last. So before taking your last steps through ACHS, look around you, and remember all those moments that shaped you into the person you are today. Smile because high school may have been four of the best years in your life so far, but just wait. New exciting opportunities await just outside the doors of ACHS.