Reflections by a 2024 Senior

By Ethan Epstein

Throughout my five years at Kenmore West, I feel that I have seen and experienced it all. When I came to Kenmore West, I walked around wearing the most vibrant and illuminating dri-fit sweatshirts. Walking through the hallways I saw a few faces I knew and many I didn’t even know existed. I always walked with my head down and minded my own business. The upperclassmen were thought to be giants, and I was just making a quick detour through their habitat. As a 5’4 prepubescent boy, I felt misplaced completely. The subject of a virus going around was brought up in our English class and suddenly the rest of my year was over, COVID-19 took over half of my entire high school experience. I wasn’t sure if I would survive a pandemic; how do you explain to a 14-year-old kid what that is, and that you’re living through one? Through that time everyone felt alone, depressed, and wasn’t sure what was going to be next. 

Months passed and I’m experiencing my first day of freshman year–online. My first day was completely through a computer. Nobody knew what to think. Halfway through the year, we were allowed to go back, but only half of the school could attend in person on certain days, and the student body was split up.

Time flew and I’m already a sophomore, experiencing my first full year but still needing to wear a mask and social distance myself from all of my friends. At that time, I finally found some of my real friends, it was the first year I had real connections with seniors. Seeing them graduate was bittersweet and I wasn’t fully sure what to expect as that seemed to be so far into the future.

I never understood the feeling of growing up until junior year, the hardest year to go through. Nearly every class required a Regents exam, and you needed to pass every Regents class or you would be required to retake it in summer school. I was told by everyone around me that it would be my most stressful year, and it was. I wasn’t ready to fully lock in and complete it, but yet I did. Junior year taught me how to handle school, extracurriculars, and a part-time job. This year felt so long for me. But suddenly, it was September 5th, 2023. 

September 5th, 2023. My last first day of high school, starting my senior year. I could bore you with the explanation that you should join clubs and activities throughout your high school experience, but you’ve most likely heard that, and honestly do what you want and make it out to be what you want it to be. I don’t care! I can’t explain the realization and processing that comes with becoming a senior and realizing that in June you will be leaving this school and all of the friends you've made. October hits and you’re already applying to colleges and writing your college essays. Every moment you have, you feel the need to cherish. Everything at that point is a YOLO (You only live once) and you forget to think about what other people may think of you. You finally start doing things for yourself, not for others. You blink and it’s already January, you’re getting accepted into the colleges you applied to, and realize that in a few months, you will lose contact with half of your friends and never attend school with your classmates ever again. You’re picking what senior picture you want to use, and running for fun senior superlatives. You are attempting to savor every minute and memory you can make with friends and teachers, trying to make the best impact you can, before you walk across the stage and say goodbye to half of your class. The thought of picking a major and path that determines the rest of your life is the most mind-boggling exposure to the real world. My year isn’t over and there are still many activities to look forward to. 

We’ve earned this, and it’s nearly our time to walk across the stage. Looking back we’ve accomplished so much, and have an entire future and world to shape ahead of us. Make memories and spend time with your friends before it’s too late and regret starts taking over.