It truly is a bittersweet feeling approaching the end of our senior year. The class of 2022 has survived the train wreck that has been our four years at Milford High School and we finally get to say goodbye.

It goes without saying that not one of us will miss the countless homework assignments, projects, speeches or assessments that kept us up until the early morning of the deadline day. But in between the multiple days where we stressed and barely slept in order to achieve our academic goals, we laughed and enjoyed being around one another. So as we go on to reflect on the good and the bad, try to focus on all the times you smiled these past four years: from football games which we actually won this year, spirit and charity week, prom, nights spent together that felt endless and the many conversations shared quietly or not so during class. High school was and always will be a challenging time but the best way to move on and grow from it is to savor the good. These past four years had so much good in them and it would be a shame to brush over them to focus on the negatives.

Especially during our last year we had so many good moments. This year compared to our freshman, sophomore, and junior year we went above and beyond at football, basketball, volleyball and even soccer games. The excitement and energy we all felt each time it was realized we were winning or going to win made us light up. But during the football season this year was when we all collectively decided to come together, go all out and be crazy. It was a mutual experience for all of us leaving those games unable to hear from how loud we would scream.

One moment we all impatiently waited for this year was spring break. A magical thing we had to watch our siblings experience from afar before it was our turn. While some groups ventured down to Florida and the Carolinas, the big class trip this year was once again in Mexico. Riviera Maya could only be described as absolute chaos and most definitely worth all the anticipation. Being a time to relax in the sun and in the pools, go on late night adventures and take enough pictures you could play out spring break just from a photo album on your phone.

For a while, it seemed as if this day wouldn’t come. We watched for the past two years as the previous senior classes didn’t have their typical Senior year traditions and the question of what this year would look like was up in the air for so long. Luckily, we were fortunate to have homecoming, games with proper student sections, classes in person together and all the festivities and fun that comes along with graduation.

Something we really had to miss out on was the full extent of spirit week and charity week. Of course the school worked hard to give us events that were as close to normal as possible but nothing could replace the absolute insanity that was the entire student body crammed into the fieldhouse. But luckily for our Senior year we got to experience both and instead of being the scrawny little freshman getting “go home freshman” screamed at us, we were the rowdy seniors who got to do the screaming. This year we also got to witness history at our school when we raised a record $35,107 which is the most money Milford has raised during Charity Week with funds going to the John Drypen Foundation.

And most importantly one of our favorite past times this year worth mentioning was our beloved skip days. Funny enough we were never able to properly coordinate a day where every single senior skipped school but we had the spirit. From having a barbecue and enjoying the beautiful weather to going to Cedar Point there was never perfect success but good times were had along the way.

With the joy of finally being done with high school comes the knowledge that we will all be going our separate ways. Although many will continue their education in-state, at institutions like Michigan State University, University of Michigan, Grand Valley State University or Oakland Community College, some of our graduates will be going out of state as well to places like Utah, Kentucky, Tennessee and Ohio. No matter how much we are all desperate to be done with the 6 a.m. wake up, fluorescent lighting and random underclassmen screaming as they run down the hallways, nothing can prepare us for saying goodbye to people we’ve known for as many as 13 years or as few as one. In saying that, take advantage of the time you have left with your friends, don’t let a single moment go to waste. We might not have all liked each other at certain times but a weird family was created between all of us and that’s a sacred thing.

It is important to acknowledge that some Milford Seniors though will not care to look back on what was good about this school or about all of us. High school can be a brutal time that brings on the worst for some kids and their lives and because of it they’re finally free. If these past years have been a great struggle for you then congratulations. You made it through and can now live your life how you choose and can rid yourself of the negativity and stress that followed you in these classrooms and hallways.

As we prepare to leave Milford behind, if you only take one thing away from this, let it be that you are now entering into a fresh start. Take advantage of it. We’re no longer kids with no idea who we are or how we should act. Don’t let who you were at Milford High School define who you will be in the future. In reality, this was just an entry point into our lives. After you leave these halls, no one will care how well you played on a team or how many people were obsessed with you or even who you were friends with. Long story short, don’t be the reason everyone says you peaked in high school. This was four short years where we all said stupid things and did equally weird things. There is a whole world out there far away from this tiny school full of opportunities to learn and mature.

Cherish all the times you’ve smiled here, if you did at all. Hold onto the good memories and, if you can, hold onto the good people. There are plenty of them who walk these halls every day. Pretty soon, we will watch each other grow and live our lives through social media and it may be difficult watching someone you were once so close now flourishing without you. It’s a part of life though, we will all go out into the world by ourselves, but we’ll be rooting for each other.

While this school was a family for some and a prison for others, just remember that life can only get better from here. Really, we’re about to graduate high school, we finally did it. Once we’re gone, we’ll try to grow into the best version of ourselves, who bring happiness into others lives because at this time in life there’s too much negativity. Be safe, be smart and above all else be happy with who you are and what you’ve done so far with your life.