To the school that has taught me so much since I entered these gates four years ago, I now say goodbye. Here I am looking back on the past 13 years of my life and I realize that I grew up. The little girl who started Kindergarten in 2008 would have never imagined that the time goes by so fast. 

High school was great. The memories I made, the friendships I’m so lucky to have and the experiences I got are things I will always be grateful for. Agua Fria helped shape me into the person I am today and this high school will forever have a very special place in my heart. 

Personally, I have made the best friends in the world in high school and for you guys (you know who you are), I just want to say thank you for shaping me into who I am today, pushing me to be better and being a huge part of my life. You have inspired and shown me so much about myself. 

Each of your friendships have taught me so much and I didn’t even realize it. 

Thank you Nic for showing me family isn’t always blood. Thank you Lorena for showing me how to truly care for people. Thank you Tobi for showing me that kindness makes the biggest difference. Thank you Makayla for showing me how commitment to the things you love can change the world. 

Thank you Anna for giving me the gift of journalism and showing me that light needs to shine on things that are important. Thank you Nathan for showing me the impact that steadfast support can make. Thank you Mikayla for showing me how quick strong friendships can develop. 

Thank you Jenna for showing me what true strength looks like. Thank you Berta for showing me what unconditional love looks like. And thank you Henny for showing me that age has no control over the impact you can leave on someone. 

To my best friend, Alicia Cordova, I love you more than words can describe and I am so grateful for the impact that you have left in my life. Not only have you been there for me but you’ve also shown me a lot about myself. 

When we first met I had a lot of fears about what people thought about me, but you taught me that no matter what, it’s okay to be my true self. Thank you for being my best friend and I’m so excited to see where the future takes us, but no matter where we end up just know I got your back and I know you got mine. 

High school has been fun and the opportunities this school brought me have been amazing; being an editor for journalism, president of yearbook, being involved in StuCo and Link Crew are all things that have brought me so much joy these past years. 

I want to thank my journalism class for being a bright part of my day and always putting a smile on my face. Thank you Mr. Jovanelly for putting your trust in me to be sports editor before I had even written my first story. You entrusted me with this and because of that I have learned so much about leadership and found an even stronger love for writing. 

Although none of us have truly had a normal high school experience, we’ve had one that nobody else got to experience. We rewrote the narrative and made it our own despite the challenges we faced these past few years. Although I won’t be at Agua Fria next year, I know you guys will continue to write your own narrative and I hope you enjoy the rest of your four years. 

I have learned a lot these past couple of years but one thing that I’ve grown to learn is that no matter what, you’re going to leave an impact on the people and community around you. So do everything you can to make it a positive impact, leaving people better than you found them. The world is cruel enough without us making it worse, so do what you can to leave a positive lasting impact on those around you. 

Show people support in small ways and be kind. Nothing is as important as having a loving heart. You’ll make the world a better place simply by being kind to the people around you. The world has enough judgment and hate, so don’t add to it. You’ll never regret being kind to someone. 

When hardship and conflict arise, seek to understand before you are understood. It’s far more important when trying to find peace to understand where someone is coming from rather than getting your point across. There is a lot of controversy in this world but I encourage you to embrace differences and respect that not everyone has the same beliefs and views of you, and that’s okay. 

Being a force for good is simple and easy, it doesn’t have to be in big ways. Be a good friend, help people that you can, smile at strangers and embrace the uniqueness in everyone. 

The one thing that people will remember you by is your legacy, so make it a good one. Having a pure heart is hard and none of us are perfect, but push and challenge yourself every day to be better. 

Agua Fria has been home and it’s not going to be easy to say goodbye, but it’s more than just the buildings. It’s the teachers that inspired me, the friendships that I’ve made and the good times we’ve shared that are going to make it hard to leave behind.

Keep being yourself and continue to be a force for good. It has been an amazing four years and an absolute pleasure to go to school with all of you. 

But for now, hasta luego Agua Fria!