// Tomorrow’s graduation, and the day after that is the last day of school.//

I will not cry tomorrow, I will not cry. I will give my senior (well, freshman now) friends a hug then run away really fast so they don’t see me bawl my eyes out. Especially him. If I see him, I won’t stop crying; and I don’t think I would want to let go of him either. AAAAGH; IT’S OKAY. I’LL DEAL WITH GRADUATION TOMORROW. 

I can’t wait until my sophomore year is over. I loved this year. It was so stressful and challenging, but I grew closer to my teachers along the way. I learned how to communicate with my teachers more efficiently and I learned to keep strong bonds between certain people. I learned how to play tennis and badminton. I learned how to do a double pirouette and I learned how to leap. I learned how to draw a perspective drawing and I learned how to use a paint brush. I learned how to improvise with the art supplies and how to draw a self portrait. I learned how to transfer my emotions onto a piece of paper; and may it be with a writing utensil or an HB pencil. I learned how to calculate the change of heat of a chemical reaction and I learned how to love nerdy Science and Math jokes. I learned how to love English despite all of the work I don’t want to do. I learned how to love all of my teachers and I learned how to appreciate them for everything they’ve done and for all the time they’ve sacrificed to spend it on grading our projects and papers to give us a good feedback on how we could improve the next time around. I learned how to thank them for their patience. I learned how to give my teachers hugs and compliments when they look tired and stressed out. I learned how to be a leader and I learned how to love myself and all of my flaws; I learned how to be thankful for everything I have— and I learned how to cherish every moment that I had with people whom I love. I learned how to be cheerful despite all of my negative emotions; and I learned how to think of others before I think of myself. I learned how to be be an optimist with every problem that I face. And I learned that being an optimist doesn’t mean that you always have to be happy; you just make the best out of what is given in front of you.

Sophomore year was full of firsts. The first time I received an F on a quiz grade; the first time I had a C on a unit test; the first time I received a B as a class grade; and the first time I cut O period to study for my Chemistry class. It was the first time that I let someone have a big impact in my life; and the first time I let someone leave a big mark in me. It was the first time I fell for someone this hard; the first time I left a fortune saying from a fortune cookie as an attempt to brighten up someone’s day. The first time I slow danced with someone at a dance; and the first time I was carried. The first time I stayed out late to hang out with trustworthy friends; and the first time I went out to the movies until late with someone I had feelings for; the first time I shared a slurpee; the first time I cuddled at the movies; and the first time I fell asleep on someone; the first time I stayed after school just to hang out with a certain person and the first time I stayed after for seventh period AP Art to watch someone paint. It was the first time I performed on stage as a dancer and the first time I went to a concert as a part of the audience. It was the first time for so many others that I don’t event want to list because there’s too many.

I love my sophomore year; and if I could change something, the only thing I would change is how I treated myself in the beginning of the year. I wouldn’t want it to end—but I feel that I have to move on. The seniors are gone, and I just want my finals to be over with so that I can focus on volunteering and being in Leadership Academy at PCA w/ an elective for Creative Writing; and researching more about the NMR research. I want to have more academic experiences outside of Mt. Eden and I want to make more memories with close individuals. I want to grow as a person and come back to Mt. Eden in the fall of 2012 as a new leader; one to change her school community for the better. Not in a big way, but in a small way that will change a person’s life; like tutoring those who are not fluent in English like how I tutored 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders while I was in 5th and 6th grade. I need to move on to summer of 2012. Two more days. Let’s go.