by Stephen Carney

Created on: March 03, 2009

Every young person has to go through it, unless they have decided that high school is not for them, and perhaps a career in the movies would serve them better decades down the road of life. The culmination of the many years of "secondary study" is heightened in that final year of pre-collegiate study. It is quite the milestone in an individual's life. Those countless hours learning the ABCs in pre-school, preparing for "real school," enduring the many adventures of addition, subtraction, cells, Bunsen burners, mitochondria, verb, adverb, noun, prefix, and the the many uses, and kinds, of spatulas. All of those events anticipate the year that one can say that they have a traditional education provided for by our very gracious government.

Looking back upon that last year of high school the most important memories that stood out to me were related to music and football. This combination is quite typical of the average high school senior, so I won't go into detail about it. However, one does love to remember the "good 'ole days." The nickname of "Alaska" had been branded into my forehead, so it seemed, as my move to Kentucky from Alaska had caught the attention of a few students in our humble city of 9,000 citizens. Even the instructors had almost forgotten my legal name and replaced it with the three syllable identification of the "Last Frontier." Perhaps this title would be the most effective method of the high school body in remembering my legacy left at that southern institution.

Of course, the tales of rebellion, pranks, lack of respect, hair-pulling schemes (at the expense of our lovely teachers) are the usual expectation of almost every high school senior. On the other hand, I was the "black sheep" of the "black sheep" in my senior year experience. One might yawn at the creativity I displayed in being late one or two times a month to my first morning class. The effects of sleep would be overwhelming witnessing my "bad boy" attitude as I interrupted the conversation of a teacher and student in order to ask when the next assignment was due. These antics borderlined those of a wanted man and brought the principal to quiver in his boots when word leaked that I would have to darken his office door. Of course, that fiction novel would have to be closed and reviewed as rubbish when my own mother would brag about the many accomplishments and respectful nature of her eldest son.

Senior Skip Day was almost a requirement in my perception, as almost all seniors were to forego their school attendance in order to enjoy a party provided by the teachers in order to celebrate their hard work. The secrecy and privacy of this day was almost laughable. The day received its own title, yet the teachers and principal were not allowed to support its practice. In the end, as it appeared to be a school function, I endured the riotous fun that ensued from skipping a day of school to sit at home watching television and playing video games while waitiing for the Senior party to be held in the evening.

On graduation day I received numerous awards for my concentrated and valiant effort over the course of study at the high school. The coveted yellow sash signifying an "honor graduate" adorned my graduation robe as I proudly glided across the stage to shake the hand of the principal and receive my diploma. It was supposed to be this wonderful day for me, yet my mind perceived this day as only a stepping stone in the career of education upon which I would be embarking over the next decade of life. In the end, it still felt like school was going to be a business in my perception and the acquiring of a high school diploma seemed as natural as breathing.

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