As my senior year and time as an MCPS student come to a close and I sit down to write my final article for the Observer, I know that there are a million pieces of advice I could give the underclassmen. However, no one wants to read a cheesy goodbye article that could have been written by any graduate. Because of that, I will keep this short and just give out one piece of advice: everything works out in the end.

Remember that time in middle school when you got called down to the principal’s office during gym class? What about that time when you were freaking out about standardized testing and the pressures of junior year?

Well you may not have experienced those situations, but I certainly did. Yes, the trip down to the principal’s office was out of character and resulted in me embarrassingly crying like a baby in front of all of my friends, but as it turns out, everything worked out in the end, and now the story is a source of laughter during “Remember when?” conversations with my friends. And now I get to watch my sister suffer through the very same middle school gym class with the same teacher (sorry, Jaclyn).

Then, of course, there is junior year. The constant nagging from your parents, teachers, and friends—all of who want the best for you—but don’t know when to stop. “What schools are on your list?,” “Don’t you think you should look at the Ivies?,” “Practice your SAT!,” “Oh, you applied to “School x? That place is for those who didn’t try in high school.”

Well guess what naggers? I’m going to the school that I know is right for me, regardless of what everyone else thinks because, to be honest, I will probably only talk to a handful of you after graduation.

Then comes the finale: senior year. No, mine hasn’t been covered with rose petals and daisies like some of you might expect. Early on, I went through a rough patch and had to deal with someone making a decision of questionable judgment that affected me significantly. However, I learned that there is no right way to do the wrong thing. Through it all, I grew as a person and realized that should I ever be in the same position, I would not make the same mistake. Looking back now on the rough times, I realize that everything has worked itself out and I am able to finish my senior year strong.

So, as author Tracy McMillan once said, “Everything works out in the end. If it hasn’t worked out yet, then it’s not the end.”