Growing up as a teenager can be crazy
Growing up as a teenager can be crazy, full of ups and downs, learning experiences, and all kinds of challenges. Being a teenager is about learning what kind of person you want to be, what kinds of things you want to do, and making every moment count. And so I would like to say congratulations. Congratulations to all the classmates, families, friends, teachers, and RVA community who took part in this beautiful journey to graduation. It has been an amazing one.
In all the years that I have been in RVA, it has impacted me. They taught me lessons that I will never forget: I learned how to say have a good day in Spanish from Señora Schlei, (Shly) slope-intercept from Mrs. Zander, and a whole lot about fungus from Mr. Gehl. And while I had my favorite subjects and certainly some that were more of a challenge, each teacher had an impact on me. I learned larger lessons on how to study, working hard, and most importantly, on love.
In 9th grade, I had a particularly difficult time, but it also turned out to be one of my best. Struggling with my mental health, I fell behind on schoolwork and it was a struggle to even wake up to go to class every day and turn in my assignments. But while I was questioning myself and what I could do, I was overcome by the response of my teachers. They were forgiving, kind, and so empathetic. Even if they didn’t necessarily understand all I was going through at the time, they reminded me that I was enough as a person, not just based on what I could do. It left me with gratitude for all of the people in my life who appreciated
Jessica Parker RVA Class of 2025
me and gave me the strength to keep going, like my family, which is a lesson on unconditional love that I continue to remember years later.
And presently, I am excited for our future but I also want us to be present in this moment. There will be many mountains to climb in the future, but never let that cause you to forget all that you’ve done to be here. Whether any of us plans to go to a technical school, college, or anything else, that doesn’t take away from where we are in this moment and the achievement of graduating. So be grateful for everything; the good, the bad, and the ugly that got you to this moment. With that said, there’s still more to be learned. Although this is the end of high school, it is only the beginning of what’s to come. I would like to share a quote from Mr. Robinson himself. He said that “Lifelong learning means you’re never too old to learn.” So as the days go by and you keep growing, remember to keep learning. No matter how old we are, we can still learn new skills, new lessons, and have that same curiosity about what we could be, what more we could do. As your world expands, I implore all the graduates of class 2025 to become lifelong-learners. Congratulations again and I wish you the best in your futures. — Jessica Parker, RVA Class of 2025
Jessica Parker is from Kenosha, and has been part of RVA since 7th grade.
