Endings bring new beginnings

As the weather starts to warm up, all students look forward to summertime. Students at Sutter Union High School have spent the last month going through AP tests, finals, celebrations, events and more to end the school year and prepare for summer break.

For juniors, sophomores and freshmen, it'll be another fun summer till they go back to school. But for the seniors, it's a pivotal time that culminates with a very important and memorable event: graduation.

While the lower-classmen hurried to complete their finals, the seniors went to graduation practice. The past four years of hard work have helped us grow into the individuals that we are today. Ever since February, we have prepared for the day where we'll walk across the stage, receive our diplomas and begin the next big journey of our lives.

We reflect on how our dreams and futures unfolded due to our efforts in school. Although we will graduate together, there are many different directions that we will take as we look to the future.

Some will go to college to pursue entertainment, sports or fine arts. Some will pursue various degrees, and some will choose to start a family, join the work force or serve in the military.

SUHS senior Caleb Parker said he plans to attend Holy Names University in Oakland to major in kinesiology, or sports biology. He said, "I'm excited (to go). I'm sad to leave Sutter behind, but excited."

Senior Elly Palmer, who plans to attend Butte College, said, "I'm scared because I don't want to leave everyone, but I know I'll see everyone again."

Senior Tabbie Peterson, who will attend U.C. Berkeley to major in linguistics, said, "It's bittersweet to leave my old friends and meet new ones at college."

But even though it's the seniors who are taking the biggest leaps toward their future, even the freshmen are looking ahead.

Freshman Jeremy Moreau said, "To me, I am excited for new things, faces, teachers, and everything. And to this day, I'll always keep that feeling."

Many of our seniors are proud to attend the dream schools that will allow them to do what they love most. But no matter how far away we go, we will always remember the small high school located near the Sutter Buttes in the Sacramento Valley.

We also have grand aspirations for what we want to do with our lives. Nola will attend UCLA this fall, and Jayna will join our older brother at the Air Force Academy.

This is our last column for the Appeal-Democrat. Bianca Almeida will take our place as SUHS columnist for the 2012-2013 school year. We would like to thank all of you who have inspired, contributed to or have read our columns. We would also like to thank Susan Benitez, our editor, who gave both of us the opportunity to write for the Appeal-Democrat.

Nola and Jayna Dodd are seniors at Sutter Union High School. This is their final column for the Education section.