The end?

Do you remember when you were sitting at freshman orientation and with nervous anticipation wondered, how you will survive the next four years? What about your freshman year when you found that extra-curricular that you now consider a calling? That first day of junior year when you walked in as an upperclassman? Or junior year’s last day when you became that senior that would graduate in a year?

High school is full of milestones and memories. It’s just like a story with hundreds of characters doing their own plots. Plots that all end in less than two weeks.

Since I started this “Senior Walk” I have been fighting myself on how I wanted to end it. I could just do a typical walk down memory lane and then say goodbye and that’s it. I mean a ton has happened in four years’ time. But instead of just spewing nostalgia that you could find in your yearbook or old Prowler stories, I wanted to end with this — the realization that May 24 isn’t your typical story’s end. Because there are more pages to this book.

Everyone of us will continue onto great things after high school. For some it could be fame and fortune. For others it will be a typical family lifestyle. Some people might even end up like their parents. And while I can’t write a news story telling what is to come, I can write what I know. 

Colleges and careers graduating seniors will attend:

Agnes Scott College – Abigail Mapel

Air Force Academy – Alyson Phinney

Air Force – Andrew Williams

Anderson University – Audrey Carroll

Arizona State University – Mary Dennis

Auburn University – Kaitlyn Reiss, Emma Posey, Katie Alldredge, Michael Heatherly, Sophia Bender, Preston Harris, Jordan Cole

Belmont University – Sean Phelan

Berry College – Sarah Johnston, Jacob Hunt

Clemson University – Caroline Andrews

Coker University – Ansley Wallace

Colorado State University – Ally Marshall

Cosmology school – Mackenzie Gibson

Embry Riddle Aeronautical University – Liam Artman, Vladimir Taylor

Florida State University – Sarah-Grace Collins

Franciscan University of Steubenville – Sebastian Garzon

Georgia College and State University – Ansley Taubert, Abigail Beaulieu, Joseph Piceno, Katelyn O’Shields, Carson Hines, Ellie Camp, Franny Landgrebe, Rose Stephens, Eric Lacourly, Grayson Faircloth, Ryan Henderson, Gracie Britt, Sarah Lawson, Gracen O’Neil, Libby Gilmer, Ansley Osborne

Georgia Military College – Kaitlyn Smilie, James Lock

Georgia Southern University – Lauren Ratinaud, Becca Davis, Kellie Arnold, Matthew Hyle, Dylan Yost

Georgia Institute of Technology – Madison Knowlton, Jake Paupe, Bailey Austin, Ashley Fukuyama, Carol-Anne Collins, Brady Meyer, Erin Pham, Ore Amosu, Ben Mrosek, Ian Fertig

Gordon State College – Logan Cognac

Jacksonville State University – Madison Corkill, Nick Wiest, Devon Moan

Kennesaw State University – Kate Kojali, Caroline Kingsley, Rachel Davison, Ethan Nuqui, Mckenna Rockwell, Kelsey Proffit, McKell Williams, Aubrey Stewart, Hailey Grebeck, Mya Burns, Leah Serratelli, Kristen Decos, Niki Jackson

Mercer University – Nolan Robichaux, Tara Davis, Athena Higgins, Luke Bennett

Middle Georgia State University – Matthew Craig

Middle Tennessee State University – Adam Secor

Milligan College – Alivia Sapienza

New York University – Chad Evans, Tooni Bamiro

Oglethorpe University – Zion Glenn, Abri Hausman

Oxford College of Emory – Saijleen Chawla

Penn State University – Abby Weaver

Project SEARCH – Sara Huang

Purdue University – Jack West

Rochester Community and Technical College – Jalen Lazenby

Rollins College – Liza Eubanks

Samford University – Aidan Fenwick, Emily Egan

Southern Crescent Technical College – Ke Julien

Texas A&M University – Tori Davis

Toccoa Falls College – Zach Garcia

Truett McConnell College – Jonelle Granger

University of Alabama – Sarah McNulty, Lisa Bergmann, Sarah Kirby, Lea Duben

University of Central Florida – Ana Kewley

University of Georgia – Stephen Stalzer, Sarah Dorr, Tatmeen Khimani, Luke Presley, Michael Burnett, Camber Bransky, Isabelle Bowman, Alex Mahr, Cole Wittbrodt, Laura Anderson, Sarah Kelly

University of Kentucky – Ty Odom

University of Mississippi – Jack Wilson

University of Missouri – Rilee Stapleton

University of North Georgia – Luke Lamneck, Lauren McBryde, Kate Ashmore

University of Tennessee – Kerry Cronin, Sam Bohdan

University of Utah – Caroline Crockett

University of West Georgia – Steven Corrado, Grayson Faircloth, Hannah Defler, Colt Mullins, Grace Beasau

Valdosta State University – Ally Little

West Point Military Academy – Rhett Perry

Xavier University of Louisiana – Allanah Bryant

Reading down this list, I have to say I’m both impressed and disappointed. Impressed by the big things the class of 2019 will be doing over the next few years and beyond. Disappointed by the fact that our journey together is over. But as I’ve said before our individual stories are just beginning.

So I leave you with this. Thank you for making this “Senior Walk” one of the best the school has ever seen. And as we past this tradition down to the class of 2020, I wish them the best of luck. After all, as we take our final steps on our “Senior Walk,” theirs are just beginning.

Thanks for a great year and good luck in the future.