As I stand on the brink of graduation, it’s hard to believe how quickly the past four years have flown by. My mind can’t help but to think back on simpler times; times when the journey felt just as important as the destination.

When I was younger, my dad, sister and I would go on long bike rides, ones which always seemed to lead to South. At the time, I didn’t realize the significance of our route, but now—as graduation is just weeks away—those memories begin to flood back. To me, those rides were all about having fun and getting my dad to buy me candy at the end as a reward for getting all the way there; however, my dad saw it as something more. He saw it as a chance to expose me to a place I would have never expected to be so special. He would share stories he had from when he went to school here, which made me want nothing more than to be a big kid attending South.

Sitting beneath the columns, looking out at the front lawn, my dad promised my sister and I that we would be walking across the stage, looking out at the same front lawn, with a cap and gown on before we knew it. The idea of graduation felt like a lifetime away, but now as I continue to follow my dads lead and turn from a blue devil to a Miami red hawk, I can’t believe my time at South has come to an end so soon.

South has given me more than just knowledge in math and science, but it has given me experiences, life lessons and my best friends. Freshman year I learned how to play sports in a mask. Sophomore year is when I realized it’s the teacher who makes or breaks the class, not the subject (shout out to Mr. Adams for getting me through biology). Junior year gave me ‘Bday’, my best friends. Senior year made me realize how important it is to put yourself out there and try new things before life gets too serious.

As I begin my farewell to my hometown and the people I love the most, I take in the journey that brought me here and the memories that came along the way. They remind me that no matter how far I go or how much I achieve, it’s the people who guide me along the way who make the journey so special. So, thank you, Dad, for all those rides. They were more than just a way to pass the time—they were a glimpse into a future that I didn’t know would be so hard to leave.