4 Years

Walking into DeMatha that hot August day in 2019 was one of the first times I’d be having a genuinely new experience. Having been in the same place through preschool, elementary, and middle school, I figured it was time for a change. Since most of my class would be going to McNamara, DeMatha seemed like the logical choice. My brother seemed to have a good time here, and the scholarship money didn’t hurt either. I needed a fresh start after a rough couple of years in middle school, and this seemed like the best choice.

It’s strange thinking back four years ago. I wasn’t entirely sure of what I wanted to do in the future, much less high school. I’m pretty sure I wanted to join the army, which is a little funny now thinking back on it. Four years ago, COVID was only a thing on the news, I had never been in a Google Meet, and I didn’t know that I would ever want to work at a newspaper.

There were a lot of things that I learned during my time at DeMatha, and not all of it was in the classroom. Most importantly, at least in my opinion, I got confidence. Did I turn into some super cool genius overnight? No, but I began to like myself and believe in myself. Over the four years, I began to get into different clubs and sports. Cross country helped me to develop good habits, not only for exercise but also in regulation. Leadership positions in the NHS and Asian-American Club, which I co-founded, helped me to get confidence and people skills. There were certainly hard times that I encountered, but difficulty helps to make yourself stronger.

Now that it’s (almost) said and done, I’m pretty satisfied with what I’ve done over my time here. Was it all sunshine? No, and there were more than a fair share of rainy days. Still, I wouldn’t have traded it for anything. The friends I made, the lessons I learned, and the experiences I had all contributed to the person I am today. Additionally, I probably never would have learned to love journalism like I do now if I didn’t go here. I’m glad that I chose this during the COVID year as an elective, because God knows I would never major in anything that had to do with math.

This is ironically and uncharacteristically short for my final article. I thought that I’d try and spare our loyal Stagline readers from my long, winding paragraphs for one final goodbye. For everyone who’s helped me on my journey – teachers, classmates, friends and family – thank you all. You made the experience of high school enjoyable enough for this person. For everyone on the Stagline, thanks for helping me to find my love for writing and reporting the news.

If I could tell my freshman self one thing, it’s to stop caring about what others think. Obviously, if someone tells you that you smell, or that you should get that thing out from between your teeth, you should listen. Still, I put up with a lot of stuff that I really shouldn’t have just for validation. Freshman Max, it doesn’t matter. What matters is making the people you know, the people you enjoy being around and that enjoy having you around, proud of you.