Time sure does fly by. It seems as though it was just yesterday that our class entered the high school for 8th grade orientation. We were beginning a new chapter in our lives, which would become some of our most memorable years. Throughout my high school career, I had many highlights, but some of the things that affected me the most during high school were the teachers, students (both younger, older, and our senior class), volleyball, hockey, and just the impact others had on me and I had on them as well.

It wasn’t just during high school that I had amazing teachers who impacted me. Mrs. Ness was one of those teachers who helped me grow to be who I am today. She constantly encouraged me and was always so excited to see me walk into her class. She pushed me to do my best and encouraged me to go above and beyond. She helped inspire my love of music, but even more, my love for the Lord as it only began to grow once I entered high school. Both my junior and senior years, Mrs. Netzer had similarly the same impact on me. She taught me self-confidence and to be firm in my faith of what I believed in. Sure there were always classmates, not only in AP Lang and Comp, who would try to break me down, but I already knew what I stood for and for whom I stood for. Netzer always encouraged me to stand up for what I believed in and I can never thank her enough for that. Mrs. Netzer, if you’re reading this, thank you so much for pushing me to become who I am today. Mr. Gentz has truly done the same in never giving up on me. Especially when I feel like I didn’t do well on a test, whether it was in pre-calculus last year or calculus now. Half the time I would just be messing around when I asked, “Did I fail?” But on the inside, I’ve never felt as though I was good enough, or smart enough in this matter, and he has always believed in me. Thank you, Mr. Gentz, it means more than I could truly ever say for your belief and motivation to help me do and be the best I can be for others. Coach Benavidez, Ms. Tennis, and Mr. Riopelle have also encouraged my love for sports and just having fun. They always encouraged my constant energy and would sometimes even make up activities to focus on running, which I have always loved. I’ve never had such amazing gym teachers and not long ago, I wanted to follow in both of their footsteps to become a gym teacher as well and I still might too. You never know where God’s going to take you until He leads you there. There are truly so many teachers I would love to thank, but to every single teacher I’ve ever had, thank you so much for teaching me and for always believing in me, especially when I didn’t.

One of my link crew leaders, Tamara Lopez, just wow. I loved her so much that I truly don’t have any words. She was a senior back when I was introduced to the high school and I could say she impacted me, but that would be such an understatement. She brought a whole new perspective on such a big environment. She was always so sweet saying hi to me in the hallways and coming over to give me a hug whenever I’d head in her direction. I absolutely loved her so much. This past year too, there have been so many seniors that have impacted me. Esther Yoon, Abby Chalmers, Annika Veldman, Lucy Stay, and Malana Thompson were five seniors that truly impacted me and made me want to be and become a stronger Christian. I had all of these wonderful women in my AP Lang and Comp class my junior year, and I have never been so glad to have gone the opposite way of my class in being able to be with such amazing seniors rather than taking Western Humanities. When I truly got to know them, it was honestly life-changing. It was amazing just being around other Christians who loved the Lord with such a passion and by the end of the year, they told me the same thing about how they were proud to see me walking with the Lord. I had never been so proud, so thank you guys so much for always believing in me and for helping me believe in myself. There are also so many younger classmates who I have grown so close to just in this past year. Addi Herr, Jordan Mullenbach, Elizabeth Willet, Rachel Doppelhammer, Addison Dirkes, Jordan Habana, Jayda Moyer, Mika Cichosz, and I could go on and on! Especially some of the freshmen girls that I got to enjoy hockey with; I truly love you girls as though you were my little sisters. All of these girls and the hockey boys I’ve been managing for the past three years, you have all meant the absolute world to me and I hope I’ve had as much of an impact on you as you’ve had on me. You taught me the love of a mother’s heart and really just to put others before myself. You taught me to push myself and work harder so I can do the best I can for each one of you. Then there is our senior class. Our class as a whole, just wow. I am truly so blessed to be graduating with such an athletic, smart, and kind class. The effort and encouragement during sports games from volleyball to hockey have been absolutely phenomenal. Truly just the love our class has for each other is amazing and I am going to miss you guys more than words could ever say.

Then there are my sports years and even though I’ve been playing volleyball for the past eight years, I seem to never grow tired of it. There are times when I just want to give up because the want just isn’t there, but I’ve got to push through in order to be the best I can be for the team. The determination and hard drive for the sport is contagious both in the sport and just in everyday life. Volleyball has taught me to have fun and that hard work is mandatory for being the best you can be for those around you. I truly am so blessed to have gotten to play volleyball with the junior class. That’s how I’ve become so close with so many of the girls. I will never regret continuing volleyball even though I got looked over as a middle schooler and was never seen as good enough from the start. I grew more competitive and wanted more than what other people saw of me. Sure, I could serve back then, but I was just never seen as good enough. This past year though, I wanted to play, or at least be able to serve. So when our volleyball coach told me that I had a chance at serving and that I just needed to prove my consistency when he pulled each one of us aside, I cried tears of joy because I had prepared myself to be sitting bench all season for my last year. Because that’s all I ever was, just never good enough. I worked my butt off in order to be able to serve and at one of our home games, the coach sent me in to serve. I got nervous though, and the ball went into the net. But he believed in me enough to give me a second chance. The second time, that ball sailed over the net for a perfect ace right on the line. I thank God that I was given a second chance and was able to show my potential and that I really was good enough to play. At the end of our season, our coach apologized for not seeing my potential sooner, but I was thankful that he even gave me a chance to begin with in my last season. Even though I won’t be continuing competitive volleyball in college, I will definitely be playing intramural volleyball. I can’t give it up quite yet, volleyball has had way too much of an effect on my life to just stop after high school. 

Hockey, oh hockey. I have never been so thankful to be a part of a team that took me in as if I was their own, even though I was only a manager. Throughout my three years of hockey, the boys and coaches have become like family to me. I got pretty stinking lucky to have such loving guys, who are like brothers, that I was able to manage for nearly my whole high school career. My first day of managing hockey, back when I was a sophomore, was absolutely nerve-racking. I didn’t want to screw it up on the first day, even if it was just tryouts. I ended up being the sole JV manager my first year and I could not have been more thankful for that. I got to be “coached” under Buck and I had to teach myself how to manage. So of course, wanting to be the best I could for the team, I ran everywhere cause why not? Man did I get good at it too. My junior year, I got compliments from other teams coaches and one even asked to trade managers so that I could be managing their team to our head coach. Hockey has helped teach me that I am good enough and need to stop looking for worldly acceptance but to God instead. He is the only one who can satisfy and being around some of these guys who walk with the Lord, has been such a blessing. I know I’ve definitely had an impact on these guys though. I believe it was my junior year when I would say one of the boys’ names when they would swear and they would turn to me saying, “Sorry Jaya.” But for as much as I may have impacted these boys, they have impacted me far more. I treat them as though they were my own kids and love them the same. I’ve grown close to so many of these guys, I honestly can’t imagine not managing them next year. Our final section game this year, it absolutely broke my heart seeing all the seniors crying and so many of the juniors and sophomores were comforting me as well down on that ice. You boys have meant the absolute world to me and don’t you ever forget it. To all the boys I’ve managed and coaches I’ve ever been able to manage for, thank you for every second that I got to be with you guys. You’re like family and I love you more than words could ever say. 

Being a senior is truly bittersweet. Yes, being the oldest is fun for some, but not for me when it just seems as if it’s a year of lasts and letting go of both the things and people I love.  I honestly enjoyed junior year much more than I did senior year, if only because I got one more precious year in doing the things I love with the people I love. Junior year was just my peak, in school, volleyball, hockey, and appreciating the time I had with another year left. Hockey will always be a soft spot for me and I will always love the boys I managed. They will always have a special place in my heart that will always be theirs alone. Life goes by fast so live in the moment because it will slip right underneath you without you even knowing it. So go out and love those around you and just be kind because why wouldn’t you want to be kind to those around you while you still have the chance to make an impact on those around you?