With only a few days left until the Class of 2014 is Gone, Gone, Gone comes the time to look back at the highlights of the year that makes every person’s high school experience a time to remember.

Undeniably, what made my senior year wonderful were the connections that I made with other seniors and even juniors and sophmores through the clubs that I was involved. We are always told to get involved and through personal experience I believe that is one of the best decisions that your average teenager can make.

In our battle to find our personal identity we tend to change who we really are in our attempt to fit in. However, it can be quite simple if you are just yourself and instead of focusing on fitting in, you find what fits you. Search for extracurricular activities that fit your needs and you will soon make friendships and memories with people that share common interests.

Any publication’s student would agree with me that joining Spotlight (and/or Keyhole) was a wonderful experience because of the second home that this program created for us. In between deadlines, newspaper print weeks, events, off-topic rants and laughs interpersonal connections were made which helped us discover our individuality and interests. Becoming part of any program in which you grow passionate about can help you develop friendships, responsibility, skills and experiences that can prove useful in the future.

Despite the stress that comes with applying to college and scholarship also comes the time to be recognized for your accomplishments. With hardwork and dedication you will soon discover the sense of triumph that follows those late nights of studying and pushing yourself to be the best possible.

Senior year is about a lot more than just our personal success, but also about thanking the people that stood alongside us when we seeked support. For many of us without the support of our parents, teachers, counselors and friends we would not have attained the accomplishments that allow us to feel proud and motivated to push past adversity.

High school for some may seem like a hectic process, yet in reality this is one of the most important stages of our lives were we began to make the decision of what type of role we want to play in our community and nation.

We are able to proudly claim that “We are Wayne”, because together as a community we have the strength and virtue to make this world a better place through the contributions of the talented students and staff members that make up our township.

There are many views of what senior year truly is all about, but for the most part all I can say is that it is what you make out of it. When it comes down to it all it is simply about the decisions that you make of either following the crowd and doing what is cool or chosing to  stand up and becoming a leader.

2014 has proved to have been an eventful year for all of us filled with memories that will be cherished for years to come. Senior year is unique to each of us and it will be remembered  by those moments of joy and unity expressed through Purple Rain during football games, choir and band spectaculars, our Roaring 20’s prom and soon to be exciting graduation ceremony.

As I see my senior year coming to an end I leave Ben Davis High School content with the experiences and accomplishments that I have been able to be a part of throughout these four years of purple pride.

For those underclassmen that will soon be taking the grand step to your senior year I would advise you all to take advantage of all the opportunities that you can sieze all while remembering to express yourself for who you are and represent.

Go Giants!