I think it’s obvious from my smorgasbord of senior column ideas that I’ve loved a lot of different parts of high school. So much more has happened in 4 years than I ever could have imagined on my first day of freshman year, and as much as I want to share it all, I know it would take me at least a year to put it into words. But as I reflect on my high school experience, as my friends, interests, and personality have completely changed, as I’ve seen the political state of the country deteriorate, and lived through a global pandemic, what has been consistent in my life is the Evanstonian. In all honesty, I joined the Evanstonian because I wanted it on my resume. But what I found was people who were willing to challenge me in a way that I hadn’t yet experienced. For the first time in my academic career, people told me that my work wasn’t up to par, and I realized not only that it was okay for things to start out imperfect, but also that I was going to have to work for it if I wanted to be a good journalist. The foundational tenet of journalism is truth, so it’s only fitting that the honesty of the Evanstonian is what I value the most about this community. It takes a certain level of love to be willing to tell someone you’re close to that they messed up. Those conversations are difficult, and you risk making someone you care about upset. So when you find people who care about you deeply and are still willing to tell you the truth even when it’s difficult to hear, you have to hold onto them. That’s what I did with the Evanstonian. I genuinely can’t express how grateful I am for all the people who have been honest with me and helped me become a person that I’m proud of.