SENIOR YEAR RECAP (PART TWO)

Welcome back to part two of this mini series recapping my senior year! Today's post is going to cover the big end of the year events that happened, and some reflections that I had as the school year ended. This has been a really fun past month or so, and I'm really grateful for the opportunity to shift through photos, be thankful, and lean into the Holy Spirit. But before we go too deep...let's finish that recap!

At the beginning of May, we had PROM! It was truly the best dance I had been to my entire high school career, and I'm so thankful that was how we finished it out. We took hundreds (no, literally hundreds) of gorgeous photos, enjoyed yummy Mexican food and ice cream, and partied hard at the dance itself! If you want more details of that whole night, check out this post right here for the prom recap!

The day after prom, we had Grad Sunday at our church! This was honestly such a fun celebration, and it was a blessing to be able to catch up with people that I hadn't seen in a while. I've really cherished all the words of encouragement that I've received in this graduation season, and this was yet another blessing to soak it all up!

God has been challenging my faith and reminding me of His faithfulness in many ways, and one of those ways has been financially. The cost of college is extraordinary, and I don't exactly have those thousands of dollars laying around. After a period of waiting, disappointment, and uncertainty, God came through for me, and I am so grateful to be able to say that God has covered me abundantly. I received some very big scholarships from a local foundation, and so we were able to celebrate that at a banquet!

Just a few days later, we had a track senior night! This was just a small little way to celebrate us seniors at the home track meet, but it was honestly really fun and really special. I was excited to be part of it, considering I'm just a manager!

Then we had senior sunset! This night was a highlight of the end of the year, and such a special way to round out our high school career. It was a chill night of decorating our cars, taking photos, and hanging out, but the quality time and memories were such a blessing!

The next week was our Switch senior night, which was fun but also bittersweet. These girls and leaders have been a huge part of my support system and community for multiple years now, and knowing that my role at Switch is coming to an end is sad. I loved celebrating with my friends and the joy that comes with that, but it's also hard to wrap my mind around the fact that we really won't be consistently gathering soon!

At the end of that week was my last day of school! I thought I'd be more emotional than I was, but it was honestly just a fun day of senior things. I walked my elementary school, which is also where I work for AmeriCorps, so that was extra special and memorable. I loved walking through the hallways and seeing my kids cheer for me! Then we went back to the high school, ate some donuts, and handed out some awards, where I was recognized for being top 5% of the class. We had graduation practice after that and rang the bell (a DHS tradition), and then I left the high school for the last time!

My graduation party was next, and it came together so perfectly. My mom and I had a very specific vision of what we wanted it to look like, and it turned out to be exactly that. All of the decorations was perfect, we had the right amount of food, and it was so special to see all the people who went out of their way to love and support me. I felt so blessed and so loved, and I didn't expect to walk away with those feelings after my party. To be honest, it was a worry of mine that no one would come, but God always proves my fears wrong, and He made it the best party we could have asked for!

Then the finale.....GRADUATION! It didn't feel real AT ALL, but I was so lucky to be able to have Koa as my walking partner and my friends in the same row as me. It was surreal to walk across the stage and be celebrated by all my friends and family, but again, it was such a blessing! I still can't believe I'm officially graduated, but I'm so thankful that God has brought me this far, and I'm confident that He will continue to carry me and lead me through this next season of life.

And if you can believe it, that's a wrap on my senior year!!

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As the school year came to an end, I found myself often thinking about the goodness of God. My God has brought me through so very much, from loneliness and losing friends to mental health issues to injuries and much more, and He provided the whole way. He has brought me through highs and lows and worked even the worst situations out for good, and I am so incredibly grateful. Everything I've ever worried about, as small as my schedule to as big as finances, has worked out because God has His hand in it, and I cannot express the joy that rises up in my heart when I think about that.

God has always been faithful, and He will continue to be faithful. As I enter into college, the same faithful, loving, constant God who has carried me through the first (almost) 18 years of my life will continue to carry me. Every fear or trial or doubt that I face in college, God has already conquered and taken care of. I have peace because I know I'm not entering the next season alone, and the One who holds my life has already claimed victory. Praise God for that!