Monica

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People say that a person often finds out how they are in highschool. They discover who they were, who they are, and who they're going to become. In my four years of highschool i've grown more than just physically, but mentally too. The experiences i've had and the people I've met have all helped to mend my four years into one giant beautiful memory that I'll carry for the rest of my life.

As a freshman I was loud, little, and full of energy; almost like a little dog. I did what I wanted no matter what people thought of me and made as many friends as a I could. I had nothing better to do with my time so I decided to try out for basketball. Even though I hadn't touched a basketball since I was 8 years old, I made the j.v. team! In that one season of basketball I learned what it meant to play as a team, lose as a team, and ultimately win as a team. I learned, most importantly, to never judge someone by their looks because you will always be surprised.

Sophomore year I was a little bit more controlled, but not by much. I had more friends and I wasn't as loud as I was my freshman year. I played basketball again and loved every moment with the girls I played with. After basketball I decided to take up running again and went out for the track team; turns out I was pretty good at it! When I joined this team I met a bunch of wonderful people that I know and love today, but in that group of people I met my bestfriend: Jessica McEnaney. She was just like me, still trying to find herself, enjoyed running, and had curly hair! We've helped each other through a lot and have always been there for one another. I'll miss her so much when she goes off to Leas Mcrea next year but I know we'll always talk and see each other again.

Junior year I had one of the best years of Highschool yet. I was starting to find who I was and began to pull myself out of the crowd that I put myself in freshman year. I hung with Jessica more and some of my Senior friends. I stayed out of trouble and put my head into my school work and actually began to buckle down on my grades. This year I made varsity for basketball and we had one of the best seasons of GH history. The team remained undefeated all the way to states where we lost by 17 points to Butler from Charlotte. Although I didn't play much, I would never trade the memories I made that long season with those girls. Then I went on to track. Our 4x400 broke our school record and ran great races although the best we always did was a silver. Then there was prom. I went to prom my sophomore year but never really counted it because it wasn't my prom. Junior year i took a sophomore whose name is Malik, he was a good friend of mine and we went and had a great time together along with plenty of other people.

Senior year Has been the fastest year of highschool for me so far. I didn't play basketball this year but ran winter track instead. We finished second in the state behind wakefield and broke records all season. In the spring we've broken plenty of records including those that stood for a long time. Our 4x400 finally broke 4 mins, I broke 1 minute in the open 400 and our 4x800 set an amazing record at 9:15 that probably won't be touched for a long time. We went to states this spring and although we didn't do as well as winter states, our 4x400 got fourth in the state as well as recognition from coaches all around. The fun part is we're not even finished yet, we've got nationals in June.

Over the past four years I've had the time of my life, learned a lot, and regretted very little. I owe most of this to God and my family. My family is my world and more, without them I'd be a very different person than I am today. My younger brothers, Eric, Christopher, and Allen, are the joys of my life always making sure I have a smile on my face at the end of the day. My mom is my best friend and I love her for helping me through every problem I've ever had. Daddy is the best at everything he does and gives some of the best motivational speeches around! They mean everything to me and they are the people who have influenced me the most in my life. I love them.

Behind the scenes I have a best friend that some people know about. Her name is Ashley Hyde and she's been my best friend since sixth grade. We spend every new years together, our birthdays, and whenever else we can. She, next to Jessica, is one of the best friends I've ever had and has never left my side even through the hard times.

All of my memories could be written in volumes, but we don't have the time for that and I don't have the effort, besides, pictures speak a thousand words you know.