This doesn’t really feel like a final post. I’ll be honest, this experience took effort and pushed me outside my comfort zone at times, especially during the video calls and moments where I had to step out and speak to people I didn’t know. I’m at peace with it coming to a close, but I do want to reflect on what came out of it.
Thank you. To all of you, and especially to Mrs. Ainslie, thank you for showing up to this. Whether it was required or not, you still chose to engage with me. You asked questions, you listened, and you made it feel real instead of just something to read through a screen. That meant more to me than you probably realize.
Getting to reconnect with Mrs. Ainslie meant a lot to me personally. When I look back on high school, there are certain teachers you remember because they actually impacted you, not just academically but as a person. She’s one of those for me. Being able to reconnect years later and share even a small part of my life now, especially from a completely different place in the world, is something I’m really grateful for.
To the students reading this, it was a real pleasure to meet you all. I used to be in a very similar place as many of you are now.
