Senior speaks on the need to be perceived positively

write about.

I think my struggle comes from my need to write something worthy of tears, worthy of an impact on those who do not even know me.

I want everyone who reads this column to feel moved, inspired and even emotional.

Even though I believe that my time in high school has taught me a lot, I also am very aware that I have a lot left to learn.

perceives themself. If you are not happy with the person you are, the opinions of others become unimportant. And, to be truthful, I am just now starting to accept the person who I am.

Realizing who I truly am has been one of the hardest things I have ever done, but it has also helped me learn how to present myself to others in a way that is not deceiving.

people I met in BLADE, and they are truly some of my best friends. Thank you,all of you, for showing me how to let go and live the time I have to the fullest.

Thank you to Alyssa, Dylan, Olivia, Molly, and all of the Pulp girls, for being people that I know I can go to no matter what. You have all shown me what real love feels like, and for that, I am forever grateful.

As I sit, trying to write my column that I have been thinking about since my first year on the BLADE staff, I am finding myself unable to think of anything to

One of the first things I want to learn is how to deal with the fact that I cannot control how others perceive me. I already know that I cannot control other people’s perceptions, but my brain has not fully processed this information. I want people to perceive me as influential. I want people to remember me for years after they meet me.

At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is how one

To those who have helped me on this journey to self discovery, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you.

First, thank you to Aryah, my lifelong best friend. We have grown together and seen all of the ugly parts of life together. I find comfort in knowing that I will never change too much for you. I know I may not say it enough, but I love and appreciate you.

Next, the Dateline group chat. Every single person in this chat are senior year.

Lastly, I would like to thank Mrs. Hiner. I could write an entire column about the impact you have had on me, but this will have to do. Thank you for creating a space in the BLADE room that gave me a home when I needed it most. You are a light in this world and someone that I will never forget.

Thank you to those who allowed me to be who I truly am every single day. This column is for all of you, for all of those who I know will never forget me.

I missed being with my friends at school. I missed being a part of a sports team. I began to question things: questioning my purpose on this planet. Questioning if people really cared. Questioning what exactly I was living for.

As the days passed, seemingly every day the same, I was filled with so much dread. While day to day was hard, I had to look at the bigger picture. I had to see the good in the situation and keep going.

OLIVIA HINER co-editor-in-chief

At the beginning of this year, I was out of school for nearly two and a half months, as I was getting treatment for an eating disorder.

During this time, I felt as though I was missing out on so much of my

At times, it may seem like we have no purpose on this planet. We may question our worth and think about whether anything about us matters.

I am here to tell you that you do matter.

What got me through the hardest couple of months of my life were little things: the warm sun on my