By April-Joy McCann

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After what seemed to be a long and grueling three years of high school, I have reached the final leg; senior year. It’s crazy to think that within those three years so much has changed not only within me, but in our school as well.

We made our 40th year as a school, we got a new principal, we adopted a new bell schedule and we even became one of the best schools in the country. Change, of course, is never an easy thing and takes time and gradual readjustment.

For you, my fellow seniors, this is it. This is it before we embark on yet another new journey whether it’s college or some other thing that may cross our paths. For the time being it’s much easier to just blend in, become a part of the crowd and go through the daily routine of life. Yet, when I succumb to that which is the norm, I feel a sense of unfulfillment and lack of responsibility. Ever since I was in elementary school, I ended up with leadership roles. Not exactly because I wanted them, but because the responsibility of managing that group or club was bestowed upon me. At first they were challenges I wasn’t willing to take. But after awhile, they became a part of me, I wanted to help others by leading them with these roles.

This is the exact problem that we, as seniors, face whether or not we choose to become leaders and more importantly, role models for the school. We are, in fact, not just another face in the crowd. When I was a freshman, I remember wanting to look up to the seniors, who I thought would show what it truly meant to be a Trojan. Instead, I was only met with disappointment when I realized most seniors couldn’t care less about what image they were portraying, let alone the image they projected to a small, inexperienced freshman.

In my sophomore year, I did the same except this time, my expectations were met with a little more ease. The seniors that year are a part of the reason I am who I am today. They took the role of being a senior not as an obligation, but as a privilege and didn’t take it lightly. They became those role models I had searched for my entire freshman year, always leading by example. Of course they kept up their grades but beyond just excelling in school they committed their time and efforts to making MHS a better learning environment. They were constantly involved in student council, different committees and even clubs that benefited the community.

When that class graduated, that’s when I knew. Senior year wasn’t just about getting things done for the sake of getting things done. Senior year was about showcasing what a Trojan of MHS really looks like.

A Trojan of MHS is a team player, an innovator, a leader and a role model. That is the person I want to embody as I continue this school year. That is the kind of legacy I want to leave behind me.

If you’re a senior, don’t shy away. Instead, embrace the role model position bestowed upon you, because “this is it,” and you want every moment to count.