Procrastination… yup, even though it is really bad, it is my favorite thing to do. Each day it gets harder and harder to do work and at this point, I have absolutely no motivation anymore.

As I am rushing to get this reflection into Ms. Confino because she has only been asking for it for about a month now, I am reflecting back on these last four years and it’s giving me goosebumps. As with anything, there have been many ups and downs but I think that being a part of the Newspaper has had a strong impact on me and has helped mold me into who I am today.

When I first walked through the doors of Watkins Mill, I was very quiet and stayed to myself. Being shy meant it was hard to find things to do because I didn’t want to do anything alone or out of my comfort zone. That all changed as soon as I was placed into Journalism 1 with Confino.

I have known Confino for many years because my brother had her when he went to Watkins Mill, but I didn’t know much about her other than the fact that she ran the school newspaper. I always hated being the younger sibling because staff members would always refer to me as “Eric’s little sister,” and it made me feel belittled.

My writing skills have never been that great, but taking Journalism and Newspaper has expanded my skills and I have written many articles. The first article I wrote my senior year was “Watkins Mill Myths: don’t believe everything you hear” and it was the first article this year to get over 500 views.

Watkins Mill gets a bad rap, but I think those things only come from people who haven’t spent a day in our shoes. To me, it’s the teachers that really help boost this school and keep high energy. Without Mr. Johnson, Ms. Confino, and even our favorite English teacher Mr. Smith, this school wouldn’t be the same.

School spirit is something that is really important to me, so after Johnson left last year, I decided to take on the role of Orange Nation. It was a fun job to get students involved in coming to the athletic events and other school events because you get to see a different side of everyone including staff members.

Now that senior year has officially come to an end, as I look back on my past four years and all the memories I have made, it makes me happy to see how much I have grown not just mentally, but also as a person. Friendships come and go but the ones who have been with you through it all make it even more memorable.

College will be a whole different experience, but I am going to take the lessons I’ve learned and the memories I have with me to help make my freshman year go smoothly. I am excited to go off into the world and start this new chapter of my life.

If there is one thing that I would say as advice for incoming freshman, it would be that no matter what anyone tells you, freshman year really does count. If you ever need help with anything there are plenty of teachers around the building that are always willing to help. (cough cough… Ms. Confino)

You may not think Newspaper would be much fun or would have such a big impact on you, but it is a great skill to have, looks great on college applications and in this class, we are a great big family. Confino is a second mother to me and I am so happy I was able to become a part of this class my senior year.