Well, this is it. The end of the year is just around the corner, and what a year it has been. This year has been one that will be hard to forget. For most of us, this will be a year that will always be in the memory books, whether it be the great times we’ve had with friends or the stress that we had before finals. This year will always be there. From winning the homecoming game to preparing for graduation, it will always be in our memories.

We’ve all had an unforgettable time this year, from the freshmen that first walked through the doors to the seniors that will be walking out the doors for the last time, the sophomores that thought they ran the school to the juniors that were more panicked about their grades than ever, this is a year for the history books, a year for the memories. We must not turn away from what this year has offered to us, regardless of age, regardless of grades.

This is a year that we’ve all been a part of something, in school or not, whether it be playing on a school sports team or being involved in your church youth group, being in the play or volunteering at a charity, we’ve all done something. It’s time to recognize it, use it, learn from it. Everything we do is a learning experience, it’s time to start using the lessons that we’ve learned from the experiences.

Now, there have obviously been bad times over this past school year as well. Whether it be an argument with your best friend or a bad grade on a test, there have always been the bad times that we’ve experienced as well. But these aren’t to be just tossed to the side. Use them. Use them to better prepare yourself for next year. Prepare for the challenges that you’ll face in the next school year and better prepare yourself for college, real life experiences, whatever is thrown onto your path. High school is a learning experience, not just by reading the textbooks   and studying the note cards, but also by taking the experiences you’ve had and applying them to your future.

The last paper of the school year, the last month of the school year, and for some of us, the last month that we will be walking through these doors. Whether you’re a freshman, sophomore, junior or senior, take the lessons that this year has given you. Apply them to life outside the classroom, outside the schoolyard, outside of FHN, outside of FHSD. Cherish this last month of the school year. Don’t let the stress of finals, home life, clubs, sports, whatever you’re doing, take you away from what this last month has to offer. It has the same to offer as the rest of the year has had, an opportunity to learn, both in and out of the classroom. So, when you walk out the doors on May 19, don’t forget this year. This year should always be there. Always in our memories. Always there to learn from. Always in our hearts.