I walk around the halls, and an infinite amount of things I hate appear to me instantly, and I know a lot of you feel the same way.

At the same time, I also have to point out that by going to school here for three years, I have also noticed a lot of things that I don’t agree with and things that could be done entirely different that would make coming to school a much more pleasant experience.

My biggest gripe is the people, namely the ones in my grade. You all do so many things that do not make sense, things that make you appear dumber and dumber. Like right now, I am on a bus back from a swim meet and I’m overhearing conversations that make me want to just quietly pull the emergency exit lever behind me and fall out into the road… and lay there. But I am not getting into that…this month.

There is one thing, however, that Har-Ber has done right. Specifically, the administration has done a great job at selecting faculty.

Certain teachers of mine have made their jobs as educators personal. It is not about making their content area easy to understand. I am talking about the ones who take the time to really reach out and understand you enough to to create a bond that is somewhere between kind of a mother figure (or maybe a sister, because it would be super weird if some of these teachers were your mom) and a friend.

Honestly though, I have never felt more encouraged than by the people I call my mentors. Since I was a sophomore, I have had my swim coaches encouraging me day by day and helping me develop a drive to try harder in anything I do. When it was time for me to search for a new job, I had plenty of teachers and advisors backing me up, ready to give me recommendations. And when I was in somewhat of a battle with my parents about going out of state for college, every one of my teachers who had any concern for future encouraged me daily to go for my dreams, to experience the world outside of Arkansas. Little has ever meant more to me.

Of course, I have people outside of school who support me up everyday, but if not for these teachers looking out for me, I do not know how or if I would have been able to make it out of high school in one piece. I know many of you have to feel the same way.

If there is one thing I am going to miss about high school, it is without a doubt going to be those teachers who I have had who have been nothing but supportive.