One semester.

That is all I have left as a high schooler.

In four months, I will be graduating, getting ready for college, and moving out. While this is an exciting and thrilling idea, it can also be scary.

Thinking back to freshman Eleanor and all I have learned since then, I know that high school has shaped me to be ready for the outside world. I have done a lot in this school. From going to school dances to playing in state volleyball games to becoming Editor-in-Chief of PLD Lamplighter, I have been involved in almost every aspect of Dunbar.

While I have checked off most of the items on my high school bucket list, there are just a few more things I want to complete. 

#1 – Back Into a Parking Space – Yes I will fully admit that I have never backed into a spot in the Dunbar parking lot due to fear. I have seen a fair amount of car crashes in that very parking lot, including one that involved my own car. However, I have also realized that maybe it is a skill I should practice before I go to college.

#2 – Mentor a Freshman – Freshman year can be very scary. Dunbar is big and full of people you don’t know, and I wish I would’ve had someone to guide me when I was in this position. Being a mentor in my last semester of high school would make sure that I have a chance to leave all the wisdom I’ve gained to someone who could use it. 

#3 – Find the Pool On the 3rd Floor – I am not a believer in the urban legend that there is a regulation length pool on the mysterious 3rd floor. However, I do know there is some magical place in Dunbar. Maybe I will find one of those instead. 

#4 – Go to a Sports Game I’ve Never Been To – Dunbar has many successful sports teams whose players go on to continue to thrive in the sport after high school. I would like to appreciate these athletes in my last semester. I have never been to a girls basketball game, a wrestling match, a baseball game, or a bowling tournament. I should support PLD Athletics while I still can.

#5 – Make a Tik Tok – While this is probably winning the award for the “most cringy” bucket list, I feel like I should hop on the Tik Tok bandwagon before I graduate. I do watch Tik Tok, but I have never tried my hand at learning any of the dances. Making this Tik Tok would be a great memory to make with friends in our last semester together.

#6 – Thank a Teacher – There are definitely things I wish I could’ve changed about my high school experience, but there is one thing I wouldn’t change at all: the teachers. I’ve had many during my four years at Dunbar, but there are a few that have shaped me into the student I am today. I wouldn’t be headed in the direction I am without the teachers here at Dunbar, so I want to make sure to thank them before I head off to college.

#7 – Say Goodbye to Lamplighter – This last item will without a doubt be the hardest to complete on my list. Lamplighter has been the best thing to happen to me in high school. I have done my best work, connected with the best people, and learned from the best teacher in the school. The drafty room with broken computers and Christmas lights, nestled in the corner at the bottom of the ramp has been my safe haven for the last four years. But, like all good things, my time in the program is coming to an end. As my time as a high schooler dwindles, I am preparing myself to say goodbye to the program that has given me so much.