Plan YOUR Path Do It Proudly

The summer before my freshman year, I decided to join the marching band because I already played the trombone. During those long, hot summer days, we would march for hours a day on the scorching football field, perfecting our spots so that our movements told a story.

Throughout our practices, I was told that if I messed up, to do it proudly.

On freshman orientation day, I was scared. I didn’t know any of the teachers, the school felt like a labyrinth, and I didn’t have any friends in my classes. Even though I was scared, I walked into every classroom proudly, ready to see what would happen that day. Wouldn’t you know it, I had an amazing first semester, and I had seven more to look forward to, full of opportunities and memories.

Then the pandemic happened. Online learning took away my second semester, and my sophomore year, so I only had four that I didn’t think I would ever get, like going inside the rink at a hockey game, or taking photos of football games on the sidelines. When I have to report stories about school events on our print papers, I’ve enjoyed asking around and learning the inside scoop about what’s happening around. One event that I didn’t report, but was excited to go to, was our prom. Ever since I was eight, I was excited to pick my prom dress. I dreamt that mine would look like Cinderella’s. When I was buying a dress for my junior prom, not only did I learn that those dresses are heavy, but they’re very expensive. Buying my prom dress this year was surreal because I was reminded that my time in high school was nearly over.

If I could go back in time and talk to my freshman self, I would tell her to plan out my classes wisely, and take the required classes earlier so you can get the required credits out of the way. Trust me, you don’t want to end up as a senior stuck in a freshman class. Even if you don’t continue to pursue that path, at least try to set yourself up with some solid foundation. semesters left to have fun before we all went our separate ways. After being stuck at home for a year, I’ve realized the thing I’ve missed about school wasn’t even about school; it was seeing other people, and having fun with the time I had left.

Even though these past couple of years have been chaotic for me, I am really going to miss high school. I will miss the friends I have made, and I will always remember the experiences I have had. It really has been a fun and memorable experience.

In the end, I look back and remember the incredible memories I have made in these past four years. Now, it’s time to look forward to college and adulthood.

So I’ve decided to change my mindset about how I act during school. During spirit weeks, you’re going to look for the people who went all out, not the people who were too embarrassed with dressing a certain way. During sports games, the rowdiest crowd is the most fun crowd, and the most fun people at the games are the ones who have all the energy. When I reported the football game against Centaurus on our home field, I was scared. I was all by myself, in front of both student bodies, taking pictures of the game. Nobody was rooting for the photographers that night, but feeling the energy of our crowd made me proud of this school. That night, we showed that Spangenberg Field was Monarch’s home field.

— Alexandra Randle — Josh Huyg

Now that my time as a student here is coming to an end, apparently I’ve become a wiser person. My advice? Find the excitement in every moment, step outside your comfort zone, and don’t be afraid to act like a fool every once in a while. The most exciting people I’ve met find the most fun way to enjoy the moment, and that even involves acting foolish in the moment. Are they afraid of how they look in front of their peers? Of course they do. But they do it proudly.