How to sum up four years of high school in a single article? That’s definitely not a question I ever thought I’d have to answer. I never even thought I’d be taking Journalism in high school. Though, to be fair, I didn’t know a lot of things going into high school. But, this just brings me right back to the question: how to sum up four years of high school in a single article? I mean, where do I even start? Well, there’s a little voice telling me: “Let’s start at the very beginning, it’s a very good place to start,” (Sound of Music). So, here we go.

From second grade onwards, I knew exactly where I wanted to go to high school: Cornelia Connelly. My parents had heard about Connelly through our Church, and from the moment I stepped foot onto Connelly’s campus, I knew it was where I wanted to spend my four years of high school. And so when I became an eighth-grader, I applied, got accepted, and began attending Connelly in the fall of 2018. While there I joined the choir, Campus Ministry, Mock Trial, Journalism, and Trinitas (formerly Tri-School Theatre). In addition, I made new friends and new connections with teachers.

I have so many fun and wonderful freshman year memories, from my friends dancing at lunch to the weirdest songs, to getting ice cream together before Winter Formal, to my first Class Plays, which was Connelly’s equivalent of Red and Gold. While sad when freshman year drew to a close, I was also extremely excited for my sophomore year.

And for the first two months, sophomore year was equally as amazing until the news came that Connelly would be closing due to budget deficits. The entire school was devastated, and even though we tried our hardest to raise the necessary funds to keep Connelly open, it was to no avail. But despite the fact that we knew Connelly would be closing, we still tried our best to make it an amazing school year. And then this little thing called COVID hit. And while COVID definitely wasn’t planned or wanted, we made the best of it.

Even though my sophomore year turned out wildly different than my freshman year, I still have amazing memories. It was the first time that I ever led a retreat and realized just how much I love leading retreats. There were more fun dances with my friends and fun Trinitas rehearsals. Shoutout to the cast of the Fantasticks; it would’ve been a great show!

But all too soon summer came and with it the reality that the beloved high school of my dreams was gone forever. I spent the summer reminiscing about Connelly but also looking forward to starting a new chapter at Rosary. And with that new chapter at Rosary came new friends, new teachers, and the chance to make more great memories. I took the lessons that I had learned at Connelly about leading others, being myself, and standing up for what I believe in and applied them. I joined PAL, Ambassadors, and Campus Ministry just to name a few. Little by little, I started to make my mark on Rosary.

And then, in the blink of an eye, junior year was gone. But I still have great memories like Mr. Gangler sending us to Jollibees for one point of extra credit, performing a Trinitas show at Rosary, and my first prom.

Now, in all honesty, I don’t know where my senior year went. It seems like just yesterday I started my final year of high school thinking I had so much time. I ignored everyone who said it would fly by because I didn’t believe it would. But in the span of a month, I’ve finished my last Trinitas show, had my last Thespian Banquet, and performed in my last spring concert.

And now I would be remiss if I didn’t mention some of the people I met and who helped me grow during my high school years. To my Trinitas family, thank you for always being here for me. To my fellow Connelly sisters, thank you for a wonderful four years.

To Ms. Barclay ‘94, thank you for always believing in me. To Mr. Bevins, thank you for showing me that I am a better writer than I think I am. To Mrs. Kearns ‘78, thank you for helping me grow in my faith and giving me the ability to lead Kairos. To Mr. Marrone, thank you for helping me grow immensely as a performer. To Ms. Torres, thank you for having been here for me since the moment I started high school. To Mrs. Lee, thank you for the wonderful support and advice you gave me. To Mrs. Tran Ryan, thank you for never giving up on me and always being here for me. And to all of my teachers, past and present, thank you for everything you’ve done for me and helped me with.

When I first started high school, I had no idea what to expect. It seems like just yesterday I was a baby freshman, and now I’m preparing to graduate. And even though I may have had an unconventional high school experience, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. My high school experience was truly a gift of the unexpected. So, thank you Connelly, and thank you Rosary. This is Alicia Dofelmier ’22 signing off.