“Forever is composed of nows- ‘Tis not a different time- Except for Infiniteness- And Latitude of home.” This is the first stanza of my favorite poem which is written by Emily Dickinson. When sitting down to reflect on my last 12 years, I wanted to find inspiration in something that I believed related to our class. The friendships, the memories, our time together.
Looking back at my experiences at New Hartford there are a lot of things that could be said. Most of the students in our class have been with each other for 13 years, basically our whole lives and although some have only had a short time at New Hartford, we are a family nonetheless. In our elementary school of Hughes, Myles or Bradley there was comfort– a sense of normalcy and safety– that was flipped upside down when we walked into Perry on our first day in 2018. We were different now, older. The bubble that was your small, safe space in elementary school was taken and we were thrown into the lion’s den– “Perry Prison:” the place where dress code violations ran rampant, we only had three minutes to get from technology to science (which is more than a three minute walk even if you did not have to stop at a locker), we carried ridiculously large binders and were all in shear panic after school because it seemed like first run busses only waited approximately thirty seconds before leaving everyone behind. While this transition may have been rough for a little bit, it graced us with each other.
Even though we were only at Perry Junior High for half of the time we were supposed to be, they were some of the most formative times in our lives. Being home, isolated from classmates and teachers was difficult. I am not saying that we all did not enjoy zooming in from our beds, the school night sleepovers, having “poor wifi” or a “broken camera” and the occasional zoom bomber- but during that time away we realized how important we are to each other. Leaving Perry to go onto high school was an exciting transition. Hearing about the gain in independence, four blocks instead of nine periods, and of course the open lunches, and rushing to Daylight or Jimmy John’s sophomore year. As we got into junior and senior year and most of us got our licenses the excitement of lunch did not disappear, it was just transitioned to the rec center parking lot- which is not for the faint of heart.
At New Hartford we got to watch each other grow up and find ourselves. We made new friends, and created bonds and memories that will last a lifetime. We got to witness our classmates turn into their true selves, create their own identity, learn how to drive, pick a college. It is refreshing to look around our classes each day and witness the growth that is happening within us. We grew up together, we learned together and it is a little bit scary that we will no longer be together in that sense, but I know we are ready.
We are a class of sectional, regional and state champion athletes, scholastic award winning artists and beautifully talented musicians and actors and actresses. We are scientists, engineers, poets and environmental activists. This is what makes us special: we are more than just a high school. In spite of the fact that everyone here is so different, so much their own person, we all coexist in such a beautiful way that makes our school feel like home. We have challenged ourselves during our high school careers. I am confident in saying that most everyone in our class has so many things on their plate: volunteering for causes we are passionate about, being a part of committees to make change, sports practices, jobs, late night rehearsals, all on top of the countless AP and honors classes, and applying to colleges- do not even get me started on the common app that took years off of my life.
As fortunate as we are to have had so many positive experiences here, we also faced some hardships in our years together. We were challenged with certain things that should not happen at our age, and in the many faces of uncertainty, change, and grief we came together and supported those in need. It is community moments like those, that prove to me how ready we are for the world after this. I will be forever thankful to have experienced my life so far with these classmates– this funny, talented, diverse community of students that gave each other grace as we learned these life lessons because we were learning them together.
Before this very short summer is over we will celebrate each other’s accomplishments, share our excitement for the future, and prepare for a big move-whether it’s down the street, across the state, or even across the country. The education we received here-both in the classroom, and out, has prepared us for this moment.
Our forever is composed of our nows and every step you take alone the way will turn into your forever- But you can never stray too far from our latitude of home created by our class of 2024. It will always be infinite because our home is with each other.
