As I begin my final year at Mercy, I prepare to start a new chapter of my life. Being in this position brings feelings of excitement but also uncertainty of the vast possibilities that my future holds. These feelings remind me all too well of how I felt as an eighth grader. This time four years ago, I had no clue where I wanted to go to high school and felt the pressure of making the right decision.

At the beginning of my high school search, Mercy wasn’t on my radar. I only had my eyes set on the schools that my cousins, neighbor, and brother went to. I began shadowing those schools and decided to throw Mercy into the mix just to get the full shadowing experience. I had shadowed three other schools before Mercy and the only word to describe my experiences there is that they felt “off.”

My next visit was to Mercy where I shadowed my family friend, Maggie Hoffman. I remember talking to Maggie as we walked down third floor hallway and feeling something just click. I thought to myself, “I could actually see myself walking these same floors every day.”

Looking back on my experience, I can define it as somewhat of a divine revelation. Little did I know, that day was the start of some of the best years of my life. I have fallen more and more in love with Mercy as the years have gone by. While I’ve held on to grade school friends, I’ve also made some amazing friendships that would have never been possible without Mercy.

I remember passing the seniors in the halls during my freshman year, thinking that they were some kind of celebrities. Three yearslater I find it almost comical that any freshman might think the same about me, considering that I still feel like a 9th grader in so many ways. While my time at Mercy seems a lot shorter than four years, I’ve made more personal strides, memories, and genuine friendships than I thought possible.