It’s all over.

Who knew how quick thirteen years would fly by. Everyone says it does, but I think the four years of high school flew by the quickest. High school taught me a bunch. How to be stronger, how to be brave, and how to be myself. 

When it came down to everything, I realized what still mattered the most to me. Family, friends, running, and faith. Cross country and track and field became everything to me and became something that is now part of me forever. 

As I go to Hutchinson Community College in the fall, I look back on all the memories running gave me. From winning state medals to being absolutely muddy and wet from all the rain, Cross country gave me all of my favorite high school memories. I will never forget that feeling of officials calling your name and putting a medal around my neck and feeling like I had finally done something. All of the hard work paid off in one single medal. 

Having Coach Barger coach me around the course or on the track. Having Coach Penner and Coach Nolan cheering me on as I do eight long laps around the track. Even having my dad make bets with me that he loses from the sidelines while my mom videos every second. Those fun and exciting moments make running feel like the best sport ever.

I will miss moments like that the most because those are the moments that taught me how to be humble and resilient about the things I accomplish.

Rose Hill will always and forever be a part of me and I hope that one day I can come back here and teach the next generation the same things my teachers and coaches taught me. 

I think the best advice I could give is, “You can’t listen to the other voices except the ones that make you stronger. If you listen to the ones who make you weak, you get weaker. If you listen to the ones who make you strong, you get stronger.”

So thank you Rose Hill. Thank you to my coaches, teachers, and friends. We have reached the finish line to a tough journey that is taking us to a bigger journey. I’m ready to start the next race.

GO BLUE DRAGONS!!!