By Ashley Bagwell

For most students high school represents a time in their lives that will go down in their minds as “the good ol’ days,” their various escapades will earn their rightful places in history as they gain the ears of acquaintances to come and friends yet to be made.

For me, high school has meant gaining the friendship of some of the most amazingly fascinating people I will ever meet. We could fill volumes with the sheer quantity of inside jokes and double entendres in our arsenal.

It is both a gift and a curse, cliché fully intended, being surrounded by the same 40 or so students every day for two years. It has meant unwavering friendships and a constant support system through the treacherous journey that is the International Baccalaureate Program, but it has also meant being trapped by what is accurately referred to as the “IB bubble.” Without the occasional AP class thrown in, a student in the IB program can go through their junior and senior years knowing only fellow IB students, virtually caged off from the general high school population.

None the less, I owe a lot to the journalism program for forcing me to mix with the student body and keeping me from being a total recluse. Apart from the number of commitments that go hand in hand with IB, I have really only invested my time in one other pursuit: journalism.

For me, writing for The Roar has been a life changing experience. I started high school with no expectations, an unassuming freshman with little to go on but the iconic films of the eighties. Needless to say The Breakfast Club does not quite prepare one for all that a secondary education entails. Journalism became my port in a squall. When my heavy course load became unbearable I could rely on the newspaper to be the one place I didn’t have to try. Not that it isn’t hard, just that it’s natural. The Roar feels right; it feels like a home; it is a family. I have seen this family soar to new heights under the protective wing of a remarkable teacher and I have been privileged to tag along for this amazing ride.

I would be lying if I claimed to be deeply saddened to be saying goodbye, due in part to the fact that it simply has yet to sink in, but due primarily to my knowledge that this is anything but an ending. I am moving forward to the promise of an incredible future and The Roar will continue on its journey to becoming an even more incredible student publication. With such happy sights ahead, being sad makes no sense. This is not goodbye, this is a glimpse at a vibrant future and an excess of opportunity.