As my senior year in high school comes to an end, I look back to where it all began– kindergarten. When I look back to those years, it seems so long ago but I can remember them so vividly. All of Kindergarten to first grade were care free times for me in school and I notice how with every year I went to a new grade, school became more and more difficult. I have at least one memory from every year and when I think about each year I’ve endured in school, it’s almost like watching myself grow up. At times I am saddened that I will never get those years back, but as I look at where I am today, I’m perfectly happy staying here.
Although not every year was the most pleasant and there were schools I hated more than others, I am thankful for each one and the role they have played in my life to becoming to who I am today. I used to count the days until I could start another year that would be closer to my senior year, but now that I’m here, I try to ignore the days I have left. I don’t want to think about the end of my days here at MSA with my friends who have become a family and my school that has become a home. It is easy for me to say without hesitation that my last two years of school at MSA have been the best years of school in my life… and possibly the best two years of my life.
This school has challenged me more than I thought was possible and has made me realize my potential as not just a writer, but as a person. Because of my disabilities, I have never really believed in myself the way I have at this school, and my disabilities become insignificant to who I am and how I perform academically. I really cannot express with words the amount of gratitude I feel because of my experience here. I have learned so much about myself, about so many topics, and about others which I am most thankful for. I have made so many friends and have been educated on so many problems they face in their life and it has made me so much more aware of the world I live in.
I recently changed my bio on this website to my favorite quote: “You cannot do all the good the world needs, but the world needs all the good you can do.” Realizing how much evil resides in our society, I find it all too difficult to find purpose of living. However, with evil, there is also so much good. There is good among our world and within ourselves and it depletes any evil when you live with the intention of focusing on the beautiful aspects of life. But to go deeper, I have found that I want my purpose to be trying to make up for all of the horrible things that surround me by spreading as much good as I can do. We are merely humans, but humans are capable of so much If we come together and work for a common goal.
I notice that it is very easy for me to go on these tangents of purpose when it typically isn’t my intention to speak upon this subject, but I can’t talk about my experience in life without including hope, because that is where my mindset is now, thanks to two years of learning and obtaining knowledge at this school.
I would like to close by saying thank you for any blogs you may have read written by me. I appreciate your consideration to my words greatly and hope to have your support as I continue throughout my life and see where this next chapter takes me:)
-Katie Spiers
Katie this was a very good piece. It felt like a punch in the gut for me. You’re leaving. Who’s going to let me observe them playing the cello? Who’s going to borrow my bowls? Who am I going to complain to about stuff? I’m going to miss you so much sweetie.