By JESSIE O'HALLORAN
Special to the Record-Eagle
June 02, 2009 07:00 am For the past three years, I have heard how amazing senior year is; now that it is finally here, I can say that this year has been one of the best of my life. However, I am able to say what over half of my class cannot; I have been in the Elk Rapids school system since kindergarten and, for this, have taken on the term "Senior Lifer." The experiences I have had in such a small yet very caring and community-involved school are far above what many are capable of saying. The Elk Rapids school system is very widely known as "the only school in northern Michigan to receive an 'A' on their report card," but actually being a part of this amazing experience means so much more than anyone can know. It all began at Lakeland Elementary School with me throwing a tantrum at the door of Mrs. Wirtz's room where I refused to let go of my mom. I told her she couldn't leave me, but, to my dismay, she did and I had to meet and sit with many people I did not know. I learned to make friends simply by being who I am and still maintain some of those friendships now. To this day, I can't manage to see Mrs. Wirtz without blushing in embarrassment. My journey continued at Cherryland Middle School where keeping the friends I had was a bit more difficult, but I did the best I could to keep them close as well as making many new while continuing on with my studies. Here, teachers began to give students a realization of what life might be like in high school as we were always getting ready for the years to come. During this time I became very accustomed to writing many essays for my English classes. My eighth-grade English teacher, Mr. Tschudy, also became my high school Spanish teacher and we still joke about middle school times. My classes resumed at Elk Rapids High School where I began to think about what my future holds and what I really want to do with my life. My high school journey has taught me to be a more independent person and now I realize I am the one who controls my future. Beginning as a freshman, I was advised to enjoy my high school years as they would go by faster than I could ever imagine; no matter how many times I tried to deny that bit of information, I must now say it is fact. Although the years have gone by so fast, the experiences I have had in high school will carry me on to college. My leadership positions in dance squad, SADD and student government taught me to handle many responsibilities at once and keep track of the many tasks at hand. The multiple honors courses I have taken taught me to always reach higher because I can accomplish anything if I set my mind to it. These skills learned over the years will help me on my journey through college and beyond. When I opened up my closet towards the beginning of my senior year to get ready for my last school homecoming pep rally, I truly realized how much of an impact Elk Rapids has had on my life. As I started looking for orange and black apparel, I became aware that it was not that difficult to find; I have more orange and black clothing than I could even wear for the day. It has taken me until now to become aware of how much Elk Rapids means to me, though I must say my new title of "Senior Lifer" has help me to come to this realization. Jessie O'Halloran is a graduating senior from Elk Rapids High School.
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Photos
Jesssie O'Halloran