Makenzie Aquino

There are so many memories to be made between being a clueless freshman to a senior saying their final goodbyes to highschool.

As another school year comes to a close at Metea, the halls are quieter, the countdowns shorter, and the memories somehow a little louder. Between spirit weeks, sports games, performances, and classroom moments that no one expected to matter so much, students and teachers alike are reflecting on the small moments that unknowingly turn into the unforgettable.

For Chinese teacher Rachel Cheng, one of this year’s most memorable experiences came from stepping outside her comfort zone during the school’s polar plunge event.
“At first I wasn’t sure what it [was],” said Cheng. “But… It’s for a good cause, so I signed up.”
The memory, she says, was unforgettable for more reasons than one.
“I was very impressed that so many teachers signed up for that,” said Cheng. “So many people with good intentions, good hearts help each other out.”

English teacher Erin Drufke found themselves not just in class lessons but in the communities built between them.

“They started the year with most of them not knowing each other,” said Drufke. “And the community that they created… they really all came together and left with these friendships.”

Business teacher Michael Pero found his favorite memory outside the classroom walls, cheering in the stands at a Metea basketball game with his sons.

“Our boys loved it,” Pero said. “Absolute blast.”

Seeing the students in a different light truly made the moment special.

“When it’s after school hours, I feel like students are a little more relieved and a little more themselves,” said Pero. “It was kind of cool to see everybody celebrating in the stands.”

For Junior Benjamin McDonagh, this year’s Orchesis performance became a moment of pride after months of hard work.

“It was a really special moment to perform all of the things I’ve been working on for months on end,” said McDonagh. “And it was really nice to be surrounded by the other people who also had put in just as much effort as I had.”

For senior Abby Kot, like many, it was nearly impossible to choose just one memory.

“There is no favorite,” Kot said. “There’s just a lot of good.”
As seniors have left, students prepare to leave, and teachers begin packing up classrooms for the summer, the common thread in every reflection is the connection to people, to each other.

The ordinary people beside us on the bus, from the days of watching the sun rise from a window at 7 a.m. every morning, make life special.

The memories rarely come with a warning. Sometimes they are found on spirit days, freezing cold water, crowded bleachers, late rehearsals, Uno games, during pause days, or simply laughing together in class.

Before anyone realizes it, those little moments become the stories we long to tell.