Dear Senior Year,

I will not miss you. 

I thought school would become easier to accommodate for the damage done by the pandemic, but you have shown me otherwise. You have shown me how unmotivated I can become. Throughout all of high school, I have never had more than one or two NHIs or incomplete assignments, but I can’t keep track of how many I had this year. 

I sat in front of the computer for hours, the same routine every day. Wake up, open zoom, and try to stay awake during class because I barely got 6 hours of sleep. The knowledge I have about my classmates and remote teachers is very little; to them I have just been a small picture among many on their screen. 

I didn’t get to have a real marching season. I miss morning rehearsal shenanigans, the thrill of performing at competitions and football games, doing the lights out show, wearing my uniform, and participating in the Old Settlers Day Parade. The one part of band that I was looking forward to was disappointing. I didn’t get to see my friends often and I always ate lunch alone at home.

There aren’t many positive things I can say about you. I’m glad I got to experience prom this year with my friends, that was the only fun I experienced in school this year. You’ve taught me to let go of people who don’t make me happy and to prioritize mental health over school.

The majority of this year was negative and there weren’t many happy moments, but I hope my college experience is better than this was. I look forward to having more freedom, making new friends and maybe even studying abroad. This year sucked, but the class of 2021 was made stronger because of it.

Sincerely, 

Gagani Liyanawaduge