S TEELE H IGH S CHOOL

Growing up I have always looked forward to the last day of school.

The last bell would ring at 4:15, and I’d watch all my friends walk out of the front doors. There was a sort of reassurance in knowing that we’d all see each other again. Same time. Same place. Same people. But now, we’ve had our final last day, and we won’t be coming back.

I feel like I’ve waited my whole life to experience these moments…our last prom, football games, senior sunsets, now they only exist as memories, and it is time to say our final goodbyes.

The hardest part about saying goodbye is not leaving your close friends, but instead saying goodbye to all the familiar faces you’ve known for the past four years. You are saying goodbye to the person you always happen to make eye contact with in the hallway on the way to the fourth period. You are saying goodbye to the kid in the back of your math class that always cracked jokes and would make you laugh. You are saying goodbye to the 600 people who have walked alongside you regardless of whether you knew them personally or not. As we say goodbye for the final time, I want to say that I am so incredibly proud of everyone’s accomplishments and I wish for nothing but success and joy in everyone’s futures. Regardless if your path is headed toward college, the military, or straight into the workforce, I hope that you all continue to push yourselves to reach every goal that you may set your mind to.

I have to say that I would not be here without a few very special people. My parents have been a guiding light for me throughout my high school journey, and are the core reason that I pushed myself to succeed in my education. They left their home country and immigrated to the United States to create a better life for my sisters and me. Knowing of their sacrifice is what has motivated me to not take any opportunity to succeed in my education for granted. Therefore, I want to say thank you to my parents. Thank you to my sisters

Meda and Kamile for always being there for me to lean on. Thank you, again, to my mom for being my #1 fan in every one of my accomplishments and endeavors, from my middle school talent show to being here at graduation. Thank you to my best friends who have loved me and supported me since elementary school. Thank you to the teachers and staff who believed in me and my ability to excel in my educational goals and consistently pushed me to succeed. And lastly, thank you to the class of 2023 for being the best graduating class Steele has ever seen.

Kristina Kukleryte