For three years, I have looked up to 176 amazing individuals and aimed to learn as much as I could from them. It’s crazy there are only 17 days until I fill their shoes and try to leave as big of a mark on Xavier as they have. It’s truly bittersweet. I will miss the class of 2017, but I will not forget the important lessons they taught me in just three years.

Lesson one: Do not care what others think. High school is a crucial time where your social status, future, and reputation are all on the line. You are constantly trying to make sure you say the right thing, do the right thing, and conform to society’s idea of who you should be. Nick Drahozal is the first person I met who challenged my theory. From spilling an entire bucket of water on Mr. Schaub to falling flat on his back and shouting “call 911” throughout all of Xavier, he taught me that no matter what, be yourself and do not care what others think of you.

Lesson two: Make time for what you love. People often say that by high school you should find an activity and stick to it. This is easier said than done. At this point in our lives, the pressure of life’s expectations often leave us with little time to pursue our passions. Anna Weih has been dancing her whole life and was on the poms team three out of her four years at Xavier. Junior year was a busy time for her between homework and her studio’s competition dance team.  She took a year off of poms but found her way back to continue doing what she loved. She taught me I am never too busy to do the things I enjoy.

Lesson three: Try new things. I used to be close-minded to experiencing things out of my comfort zone. I stuck to my usual activities and I didn’t believe that trying new things was in my future. It wasn’t until my lifelong friend, Joy Schnoebelen, decided to try tennis for the first time. Joy has always been a great cross country and track runner but decided she wanted to branch out and swing in a different direction her junior year. She ended up really enjoying it and went out again her senior year. This taught me I will have more fun experiencing new things.

Lesson four: Be up-front and say what you feel. Being an intimidated freshman, I walked into Xavier keeping to myself and holding everything I felt inside. The complete opposite of freshman Lauryn is Jefferson Daubitz. Jeff is not afraid to say how he feels; he never backs down from what he believes in, and never waivers in his opinion.  Jeff has written controversial opinion articles and he didn’t fail to call out the entire student body for not fully applying themselves at Mass. Jeff is one strong-headed person who taught me to be up-front with those around me.

These four seniors and many others have taught me some of the most important lessons I will carry throughout my life. I challenge you all to implement these into your life. Class of 2018, we have 382 more days until we graduate. One year to make our mark. Take these lessons and make our senior year the best one yet.

 Lauryn Montuoro

Opinion Writer