Here I am, less than a week away from ending a huge chapter of my life. These last four years, and this one in particular have gone by in a blink of an eye.

Coming into high school was terrifying for me. I was placed in a cohort where I had zero friends. All my elementary school friends were placed in the other cohort, so there I was, scared and alone with hundreds of kids that I did not know. Walking into the first day of school, I walked into a classroom that would change my life forever. I walked into AP Human Geography taught by the one and only Mr. Paulson.

Though it took time, Mr. Paulson helped me get out of my shell; he brought out the true Aramis for all of Greeley West to see. Paulson recruited me to AVID, never did I think that AVID would change my life forever. 

Never did I think a Chivas fan would impact me so much, but Paulson found a way to help me succeed.

Thanks to Paulson and AVID, I gained a lot of confidence. Not only that, I got to plan for my future early on. Without AVID I can honestly say that I do not think I would be where I am today.

My first two years in high school were odd. I made a lot of new friends, but a lot of those friendships fizzled out which resulted in finding me back with the best group of friends I could have ever wished for. I am lucky to say that my friends have been by my side since first grade. Almost 12 years of friendship.

Junior year was my defining year. I put all my chips into this year, and with the support of my wonderful mom, my amazing friends, and the wonderful Paulson I was able to show off and show out in my junior year. I laid out my road map for the next five years. My junior year was honestly the year where I realized I could achieve all my dreams.

Though my senior year has definitely not been the best of years for me academically, I can truly say I enjoyed my school year as much as I possibly could. I made one of the best decisions of my academic career, and I decided to join West Word. Newspaper as a whole was one of the highlights of this year. It let me get a glimpse of what I will be doing for my professional career.

My senior year was filled with unforgettable memories and unforgettable people. High school has been an unforgettable four years. Never did I think I would have changed as much as I did.

I am now three months out from attending my dream school, CU Boulder, and I could not be happier. I am truly grateful for everyone who ever helped me or believed in me.

Thank you.