OUR VOICEZ: SENIOR SUMMER Being a High School Senior

By Kate Walsh, JournaliZm

As a rising senior in high school, I have been told this seemingly harmless statement all my life coupled with the never-ending questions surrounding college. If someone asks me again what I want to major in, or the top five schools I am applying to, I might scream.

Strangers and family mean no harm in their curiosity, however, and I completely understand their good intentions. But the facts remain the same: I am going to be an adult soon. My impending eighteenth birthday does nothing but remind me that my childhood is slowly slipping away, and soon I will be expected to choose my home for the next four years and what I want to do with my life all too soon.

My approaching existential crisis at times prohibits me from enjoying a relaxing summer before the school year picks up with a mountain of homework and college applications. But my mother recently stressed to me the importance of “living in the moment.” When I was getting overwhelmed with my never ending to do list, she reminded me that it is a summer and summer means it is time to have fun.

Now I understand that first sentence a little differently. When people used to tell me it was the most important summer of my life, I had understood that it was important because I needed to start applying for college and scholarships, take the SAT, and perhaps partake in an internship or job. It was important because it would dictate my future.

After reflection, though, I understand it to mean that this is an important summer of my life to have fun. It’s an important summer because it is fun bonding time with my high school best friends while we watch rom coms and swim in each other’s pools.

It’s an important summer because it is time to relax and take a break after my hectic junior year. It’s an important summer because it is a time where I can try new things and experiences, like my very first internship at Texas Metro News!

Even during the chaos of life, it is important to live in the moment and not get too caught up in the worries of the future. If you are constantly worried about what comes next, you will not be able to fully enjoy the memories you are making right now. I am committed to staying in the present.

Are you?

Kate Walsh is a senior at Ursuline Academy of Dallas. You can often find her with a book in her hand or acting on stage.