Convocation, 2017. (Courtesy/Andy Morris)
The sun shined, and birds chirped during Convocation on Tuesday morning, August 22. Instead of the background scenery of my sophomore year that included in-process various construction on campus and a lone, incongruous column, we listened to Shreyah and Mrs. Soderberg’s thoughtful words surrounded by first-rate completed buildings.
The first week of the 2017-2018 year school went off without a hitch. Some students were overjoyed not to have full classes for the first two days. Others were disappointed to have their summer break cut short for a schedule without a busy academic agenda. For me, however, after completing three rigorous years of high school and 13 years at Academy, this was the perfect way to start the year.
This ease into the school year let me enjoy time with classmates that I missed over the summer and embrace the community and surroundings I was returning to for the last time in this context.
I smiled bigger than ever as I greeted my kindergarten buddy. My eyes began to tear-up as I walked into her classroom, the same one that was once mine.
I felt at home at CA this week, and with this comfort, it is even more amazing that the first day of my freshman year feels like yesterday. I am a senior resting on the quad with a backpack as my pillow, but that day in 9th grad I was an over-stressed 14-year-old in a crowded hallway trying to find Ms. Hogan’s room.
We aren’t mindful of the fast pace of time until it has already passed. I wish I could go back and relive my favorite memories, but I can now only reflect on how much I have grown-up within Academy’s walls.
Yes, the school is now better looking than ever with new infrastructure and trendy libraries and lounges, but that’s not what makes this school so special. The vibrance at Convocation was thanks to a community that always has each others’ backs and teachers and faculty ready to welcome their students as family.
Shreyah’s view from the podium on Tuesday morning definitely included top-notch buildings and some good-looking students, but what made her view spectacular were the smiles and shared hopefulness for the year ahead.
