The story is nowhere close to being finished, in fact it really has only just begun. I know that we as a class have the commitment and resilience to pick the pen back up and start writing our own stories.
As I look back at the past four years, and how the time has flown, there is something special about this class. I know that everyone says that, but there is truly a sense of togetherness, hard work, and success in this class that will, without a doubt, carry on to the future. I moved to Colorado as a middle schooler, trying to find a home, and I did just that at PRA. Throughout my time here I’ve grown into a new person, in the classroom and in my own life. I’ve learned countless lessons that I will hold on to for the rest of my life, and I believe that goes for all of us graduating this May.
We’ve gone from four years, to the four seconds where we walk across the stage and receive that diploma we worked so hard for. The time feels like a blur, but there are so many things to cherish from our time as high schoolers. From the little things, like the inside jokes we made with friends, and that one test you failed freshman year, to the lessons we learned from our teachers and classmates. High school has shaped all of us in ways we could have never imagined.
The realization that we are graduating is finally beginning to set in, and there might not be a scarier, happier, or more bittersweet feeling. As this chapter of my life comes to an end, I cannot say for sure what the next chapter has in store. However, I do know one thing: the story is nowhere close to being finished, in fact it really has only just begun. I know that we as a class have the commitment and resilience to pick the pen back up and start writing our own stories. We will go on to do incredible things, and make the world a better place by making our dreams a reality. Our passions are the blueprint to the lives we desire.
I am beyond grateful for the time I spent in high school and the people I spent that time with. I witnessed my own great accomplishments, and my friends’ great accomplishments. For that I will always be thankful to have spent the last four years in the PRA community. And finally, to anyone who may be reading this, remember there’s “no such thing as a life that’s better than yours” – J Cole.
Keaton Jackson will be pursuing a degree in sports management at Syracuse University.
