Even before stepping through the gates of Agua Fria for the first time, I already had memories preceding my freshman year. Living right in front of the school I would always see kids much older than me walk in and out and I would only gaze thinking my senior year would feel like decades away. 

Well, my eighth grade self was so wrong. From going to my very first frosh night to now being two weeks away from receiving my diploma at State Farm Stadium, it feels surreal and still unbelievable. 

My first year here at Agua Fria was monotonous and not very exciting. I cared too much about what upperclassmen would think of me, especially after hearing terrifying rumors of pennies being thrown at freshman students, so I wouldn’t do much other than just go to school and go home after the day was done. 

I never felt any internal drive to join clubs or sports or make an attempt of being out there even after doing track and field and robotics in middle school. I made a couple of new friends through the year but even then I would find myself still not having a very eventful year. 

In the middle of March 2018, I was told of the theatre club putting on a production of Legally Blonde and after a lot of attempts, a friend of mine convinced me to finally go. Before the show I imagined it wouldn’t be too entertaining, as musicals weren’t my taste, but after the show I found myself humming the show tunes at home and I realized this was merely the beginning of something I would never expect. 

I didn’t actually join the club until my sophomore year where I began to learn lighting for shows and after my first experience of running lights for a fall production, I began to feel a sense of home in the club. I continued to do lights until the time came in January for auditions for the Spring musical of that year, Cinderella. 

Everyone tried to convince me to audition and for a while I firmly said no since I believed I had no talent to actually sing, dance and act on stage. Until, I got a spark of support from my friend Arrianna Gomez, who convinced me to audition. 

When the cast list came and I saw my name on there, I was ecstatic, nauseous and bewildered all at the same time. The rehearsals flew by quickly until show nights came and it gave me the realization that this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. 

At the end of that year I had the honor of being inducted as a Thespian for Troupe 1033 and as a Board member. At those moments I knew theatre would be a second home for me. 

My junior year was a highly eventful year for me in contrast to previous years for both positive and negative reasons. The beginning was amazing. Going to a leadership camp with my close peers was a bonding experience that I wish I could feel again. 

From going to football games with friends to having a lead role in the spring musical, it was all very good. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic caused a halt in many enjoyable aspects of school, my life and the rest of my junior year, all the way until my senior year, when I realized life happens and you can’t dwell on events you can’t change. 

The end of my final year of high school has been bittersweet. From completing my final assignments, directing my own show, and getting ready for the goodbyes from all my friends and teachers. 

It’s been a great four years and I honestly wouldn’t have changed anything, from my first steps on campus in August 2017 to now this coming 15th of May; my advice to everyone is don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone, you’ll never know the way your life can change for the better.