As I stand at the end of my junior year journey,

I pause, feeling excitement and anticipation.

Yet, I can’t help thinking of all I have been through…

First day of my junior year, 

Heart racing, palms sweating,

A deer skull in my English teacher’s room, 

Staring, its hollow eyes meeting mine.

Under a gloomy October sky, 

I failed my first AP Chem test.

The weight of disappointment and embarrassment

Fell heavy on my shoulders.

My biggest relief, my second period math class.

Mr. Curko’s math puns, funny yet not, 

Signing Beyonce out of nowhere–

A strange comfort to a lost soul. 

Captain of my golf team, pride swelling within me.

Friends and camaraderie, moments of joy on the green.

Each swing and putt, a shared victory.

Bonding over the game, laughter echoing across the course.

Surrounded by the sweet scent of freshly baked cinnamon rolls,

Books open and pages flip, knowledge piling up.

We gather under the warm lights of Panera,

Building a dam of knowledge to prepare for the wave of tests.

School gym comes alive as students roar with school spirit,

Each class determined to take the trophy home.

Cheers erupt among my classmates, uniting under the gym roof.

In my bright red Devils Jersey, I beam with excitement.

Eyelids feel like heavy curtains,

Extinguishing my will to go through the stack of packets.

After pulling all-nighters over the virtual world of Zoom,

I finally collect the fruit of an A in AP Chem. Redemption!

As the final bell goes off, I can’t help but wonder 

What will the future bring? Amidst the sea of choices,

With all my dreams and doubts, essays and letters yet to be written.

Colleges to be applied to and careers to be chosen.

What dreams will I chase when tomorrow calls?