“Someday soon your whole life’s gonna change, you’ll miss the magic of these good old days.” -Kesha

Senior year was a year to remember. It came with its happy moments and a whole lot of tears. As a student-athlete in the IB Career Pathways (IBCP) program, I had my schedule fully booked all the time. The Academy of Healthcare Professions is not for the unmotivated.

At the start of the school year, I found out that there was no staffing for my branch of the IBCP program, which was the Certified Nursing Assistant section.  This meant that we lost our chance at an internship this year due to the lack of a teacher, and therefore, was thrust into an entirely new branch, the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant program. But shout out to Mr. Argueta for getting the job and pushing us at eight times speed to get caught up with the curriculum!

I started off the year excited to be a senior and finally leave high school. I played my final season of field hockey for one of my lifelong coaches as this was her final year as well. I also swam my final season over the winter and walked with my head held high into the spring track season.

As one of the top runners in the county and state, I quickly found out that I was no longer the hunter, but rather the hunted. The season took off fast whether my spikes were tied or not. I set a new personal record in the 400 (58.87) and 200 (26.5) meter dash at the regional championships.

I had some pretty bad arguments with friends this year and even lost some, but I got them back while meeting some more amazing friends. I lived joyfully this year, from going to football and soccer games to going to France, homecoming, the African ball, prom, and more. I also had the honor of representing Watkins Mill High School on the Student-Athlete Leadership Council (SALC).

The SALC works to create a better and more inclusive environment for student-athletes. I had the honor to work with MCPSTV several times, most recently recording the pregame announcements. (You’ll never get rid of me now).

My advice to my young peers, including those of you coming into high school to those all the way up in their senior year, is to stay on your grind. If you don’t put the work in, your future will reflect it. At the end of the day, impact matters more than intent. You can wish and hope all you want, but you have to actually put the work in to achieve it.

Thank you for reading with me one final time, this is Ella Rishell signing off!