I’ve never been good at goodbyes.

My default move is to just kind of…slowly ghost whatever it is until I’m forgotten. And it’s worked so far. But high school ends Friday, and I can no longer ghost the fact that everything will be different from now on.

As much as everyone (myself included) complains about coming to school, there is a comfort in knowing that it’s something stable, that every year we will come back to the same structure and faces. But we don’t have that anymore. And until literally the last week of school, I refused to think about it.

This isn’t some startling new discovery. I’m sure every senior has experienced this feeling before, and I think it’s that thought that should give us some comfort. That contrary to the popular saying, history does repeat itself. All of our graduated friends, and now every one of us are feeling that feeling, and that string is something that will always connect us.

This heavy weight in my chest has led me to ponder why it’s there, and I’ve realized that Wingspan is a big part of it. I took a larger role in Wingspan this year – weekly articles and podcasts, helping others with their stories and creating infographics. As everyone knows, a huge part of Wingspan is getting interviews for our stories, and I kind of became an unofficial communications liaison for our team. I didn’t realize how many people I knew until I was forced to send a text or email for a special feature or story we were doing. Every time I said “Yeah, I have someone we can reach out to”, it was a reminder of another person I’d miss.

I’m grateful to Wingspan for forcing me to slow down, for making me sit here a little longer and think about my time on campus. I was ready to graduate and move on, but now I’m left lingering. Wingspan was a big part of that, through consistently posting my work and contributing to a community larger than just myself. Acknowledging that this year, and this feeling, is bigger than me. It’s about all of us.

In a few months, I’m expected to pack my life up into a couple of boxes and create new memories in a new place. And while the perils of moving are nothing new to me, reminiscing is. My time in C102 has taught me that it’s okay to miss people, to miss the comfort of old routine. I think that’s the advice I’d give to my peers and to any seniors in the future – there is no timeline for when you have to let go. The years spent in these hallways shaped each of us every year, and that growth is something we’ll carry forward.

I’d like to thank everyone on the Wingspan Staff for making my senior year a special one. If you’ve ever read my articles, or listened to my podcast, or seen me anchor, thank you. To Mr Higgins – thank you for basically giving me no choice but to join Wingspan. It was the best decision I’ve ever been threatened into making.

So, this is my official goodbye – no ghosting. Good luck to the staff next year! I’ll take comfort in knowing that I’m a part of this legacy that you all will carry forward. This is Sindhuja Pannuri reporting for Wingspan, one last time.