Category Archives: Senior Goodbyes

Senior Farewell: Look to the future, hope

By Salma Valadez Design Editor

My high school expectations stemmed from High School Musical, Glee, and Mean Girls. Needless to say, they were very unrealistic. People don’t walk around with basketballs, no one spontaneously bursts into song, and no one got hit by a big yellow school bus. No, high school isn’t as glamorous as it is on the Disney Channel. Yes, it does go by unbelievably fast. I got to school on the first day of freshman year, blinked, and now I’m writing my senior farewell article realizing that I’m the same age my older sister was when I was a freshman.

A lot of amazing memories were made and great things were discovered during the four-year-long chapter that is now coming to an end. Freshman year I found fellowship in my small group which was the first time I felt at home. Sophomore year I found a passion for design and photography through working on the yearbook. Junior year I was a hot mess with a lot of mental breakdowns (Please tell me I wasn’t the only one). Senior year, through all of its unique obstacles, I found my purpose through God.

Throughout all four years of high school, the classes I looked forward to most were my journalism classes. Mrs. Scott was one of the best teachers I have ever had and I will miss her so much. The friends I made in the classes grew into a family. Yearbook gave me a place to express myself creatively and newspaper helped me find my voice. There are truly too many people to list who I will miss deeply while beginning my transition into adulthood, but I’ll name a few: Sally and Zoe, my absolute best friends; Mrs. Scott, the best teacher I could ever ask for who has such a big heart; All of my yearbook staffers and editors who worked so hard to make this year’s book come together; And all of the newspaper staffers and editors who persevered through the challenges that were thrown at them.

Being a part of the class of 2020 has taught valuable lessons: Ranks are not everything. GPA’s are not everything. Grades are not everything. Yes, they’re all important, but they don’t define whether we are a failure or success. It’s so important to enjoy spending time with friends and making final memories as kids, but also to know that high school is only a small milestone compared to the major ones that come with adulthood. I know now not to take any moments for granted. I’ve learned not to fear what the future holds, but to look forward to what the future has in store for me. Jeremiah 29:11 reads “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” With my final goodbye, I encourage all, especially the class of 2020 who was deprived of the traditions that come with senior year, to lean into the Lord’s promise and know that He has given us futures to look forward to.

 

Senior Goodbye: Farewell to high school

By Renee Alonzo Staff writer

    With the end of the 2020 school year comes the exciting finale to my high school career and the time for me to say goodbye to the school that has seen me grow up. While my senior year did not end as I’d always imagined it would, I’ll always cherish the time I spent learning, meeting new friends, and enjoying some of the best days of my life as a student at O’Connor high school. 

    I have the Panther Band, and every director who’s ever led it, to thank for some of my most fulfilling memories and experiences in high school. I’ll always think fondly of the warm “welcome” I recieved upon arriving at my first day of band camp and the feeling of fitting right into such a great group of people. Football games, long bus rides, and celebratory trips to IHOP were always the best way to end a week of hard work at school. One of my favorite memories, however, was our trip to Duncanville to perform our “Welcome to the Jungle” show and finding out that we placed in the finals for the competition there. Being in the Jazz program for a year was also a great experience, and I want to thank my director, Mr. Bradford, for introducing me to jazz and being a positive force that pushed me to try new things, as did band in its entirety. 

    Being part of the Prowler and journalism program was also an experience I’m extremely grateful for. Here, I learned new ways to express myself and about one of society’s most important and influential industries. My favorite column I worked on was in issue two of the Prowler, where I made a graphic including anime recommendations. I worked so hard on perfecting the graphic design and was very proud of the final outcome. Thank you, Mrs. Scott, for being such an amazing, kind, and knowledgable educator in journalism.

    My path to graduation was not always easy and fun, however. Although I loved to learn, I often became discouraged and stressed by the pressure of my many rigorous classes. It was always with the support of my teachers that I was able to succeed, so I owe each of them thanks for their inspiration, encouragement, and patience. A teacher of mine who embodied these traits was my APUSH teacher, Mrs. Cain. Thank you for being such a passionate and caring teacher. As a history lover, I also want to thank Ms. Luna, Ms. Stevens, and Mr. Taylor for teaching me so much about the workings of our world.

   While it’s sad to say goodbye, I’m excited for these next few years as I decide what exactly I want to make of myself. This fall, I’ll be attending St. Mary’s University to study law, hopefully to become a lawyer or public defender. Thank you, O’Connor, for being the first step in my career. My time as a Panther is over, but will never be forgotten.

 

Senior goodbye: Co-Editor-in-chief bittersweet farewell

By Sally Abdul Khalek

They say high school goes by so fast you won’t even realize until it’s time to say goodbye.  I didn’t know what to expect freshman year and I still remember how nervous I was on the first day of school. Now being a senior and looking back at my high school experience, I don’t regret anything because all those moments in my life helped me grow into the person I am today. 

The best decision I made as a freshman was taking journalism. It turned my life around and I never thought that by my senior year I’d be Co-Editor-In-Chief but here we are. I’ve met many amazing people and made so many memories that I will always remember forever. 

As a new staffer in my sophomore year, I experienced a lot of memorable times. There was never one dull moment in class whether it was spontaneous games of office supply hot potato? to people falling off their chairs or sharing a funny story that had happened that day. I am very proud of the stories I wrote that year and my writing definitely improved. Our celebrations of meeting issue deadlines were always fun because everyone would be together and it brought us all closer. During spring break, we had the New York trip. I was the youngest on the trip and it was the first time traveling without my parents even though they ended up going for half the time we went. The minute we got to New York, we got lost. We got on the wrong train that we thought was a subway and none of us had the right tickets.  We got to the hotel super late and had cold pizza. New York was beautiful and so was Columbia University. From running late to class to exploring Times square in the evening, eating amazing food, seeing a broadway play, and late-night hotel shenanigans, I wouldn’t have asked for a better trip. It made me open up more thanks to everyone for making me comfortable. From the trip, I gained a little bit more confidence and was not as shy anymore. 

In my junior year, I was a feature editor. That year had its ups and downs, but overall it showed me the responsibilities of being an editor for the paper and how it made me realize I wanted to be Editor-in-Chief my senior year. Work nights were definitely the highlight of the junior year because of all the food we’d eat and how much we would laugh. Movie nights were also fun. I remember everyone would make side comments to where we would all laugh and we even put Just Dance on the computer until it was time for everyone to leave. Our Austin Trip in early May was nice. The hotel was beautiful and had an amazing view. Our late-night conversations on the rooftop and our target run was something like a movie. Visiting UT Austin made me realize how huge the campus is but nonetheless the classes that we went to gave us a lot of great advice that we could use in the future. Senior year, I was a Co-Editor-In-Chief. I was excited because we had new people coming in so I wanted to make their experience as memorable as mine so they would rejoin again.  It was sad that it got cut short but our weekly meetings made up for it. There’s not much that I could say about this year but that it was different than the previous because of us having to teach all the new staffers what they needed to know but it was a good experience as a Co-Editor-In-Chief. 

There are a lot of people I have to thank as they were the ones that helped me get through high school. I’m not a very expressive person but I wanted these people to know how much they really mean to me. To all my teachers, thank you for everything and I really did enjoy being in your class. To all the seniors who have graduated and became my friends, thank you as you were the ones who helped me out of my shell and made me comfortable enough to not be shy to speak. To the staff, this year, thank you for helping us out and turning your stuff in. We would not have been able to do it without you. To all the friends I have made through this program, thank you for all of the beautiful memories. To Faith who has been the best co-editor and friend, anyone could ask for. I loved being a co-editor with you this year and despite how a lot of things did not go as planned, thank you for all the conversations we have shared and the many memories we have made these past four years, To my best friends Salma and Zoe, thank you for being by my side through all these years. I definitely could not have gone through high school with both of you by my side. I cherish the memories we have made together and I hope we will continue to make more. Last but not least, I would like to thank Mrs. Scott for all her hard work and for being there when we needed her. You have always been my favorite teacher and I thank you for giving us a safe space that we could call our second home. It means so much for what you have done for me and for others so thank you for everything. 

I knew leaving would be bittersweet. I’m sad I could not experience my senior year to the fullest with prom and graduation being canceled because of COVID-19. With all of the things, I had been through, crossing that stage meant I would be starting a new chapter in my life and I would be able to see my family’s proud faces. We can’t do anything more than to accept the reality that we have. I’ll be attending UTSA in the fall. Although change is good, it is also scary but I can’t wait to see what the future holds. My advice to everyone is to enjoy high school while you can and never miss out on any opportunities that could change your life or become your greatest memories. I wish everyone the best of luck. Goodbye OC. It’s been fun and I am really going to miss it. My high school journey will always be a part of me and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.

 

Senior farewell: co-editor-in-chief reflects on experiences

By Faith Collins co EIC

As much as it pains me to admit, high school was useful in more than a few ways. These four years have helped me accept change as it pops up out of nowhere and ruins every plan I ever had for the future. They definitely taught me something about surprises and unprecedented challenges that occur out of the blue, or so it seems. It’s fitting that the class of 2020 would get this type of goodbye. In my opinion, it almost confirms the theory that we’re all living in a simulation, but that’s beside the point. The point is; change can come in all sorts of ways at any time in our lives, most often when we least expect it. What matters is how we adapt and adjust our mindset so that all change can be a positive change and not something that holds us back. Although this isn’t what anyone pictured their senior year to look like, it brought so many more blessings than misfortunes. It just takes a change of perspective for them to be revealed to us.

I joined the newspaper in my sophomore year with the intention of pursuing a career in journalism. The news channel interests me and I love to write, so I figured it was the best option for me. In elementary school, it seemed like all my classmates wanted to be doctors, nurses, lawyers, cops, firefighters, or other prestigious and highly respected careers. I thought I was the only second grader who wanted to be an artist when I grew up. Were my dreams too small, or was I just lazy? Was I not ambitious enough? I knew artists don’t exactly receive lucrative pay-checks, and unless they’re particularly successful they’re definitely not as respected as other careers out there. But it was something I could see myself doing in an apartment somewhere surrounded by plants and succulents looking over a skyline ten years in the future. I imagined myself stress-free and happy, wondering what my next project would be. Obviously this was before I could comprehend the concept of money and my dreams have changed since then, but I still don’t care much for science and that will never change. 

Even though high school sparked my anxiety over the future, it also made me realize that I wasn’t the only one who had no clue what will happen after graduation. I still know people who are going into college with an undecided major, which is a lot more common than I thought. There was no reason to be so worried about where I would end up because most of my classmates were in the same position. Luckily, through an organization called Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) which allowed me to become one of the leaders for all four years, I created social media posts with fun designs and bold fonts to announce our next events. It was simple and easy, but it introduced me to the possibility of a future in graphic design because it was so much fun for me. Getting to create the flyers and announcements while also working on newspaper design was an incredible opportunity I’ll always be thankful for. 

I struggled to work up the motivation to write this article because everything seemed so pointless. The class of 2020 didn’t get to make as many memories as other senior classes because we thought we had more time. I knew I would eventually have to write this goodbye, but I wasn’t prepared to have nothing to write about. I wanted to be able to spread hope and positivity to everyone surviving this pandemic, but I couldn’t do that if I didn’t have any of my own. So eventually I came to the realization that if you look at a close-up of a walnut, it will look like a brain, or even the eye of a fly. But if you zoom out, you see that it was really just a walnut in the first place. Perspective is everything, so do what it takes to see the bigger picture in everything. There will always be new beginnings, so don’t accept 2020 as a year of failure, but as a year of personal growth and necessary change.

Sytha Beth Ortiz

I had no idea what to expect going into my freshman year. Multiply that by four and you have my high school experience. I knew that Disney was not the best representation of high school, but I was hoping everyone would randomly burst into song while walking in the hallway. Still have my fingers crossed. In all honesty, high school wasn’t bad.There were many, many long nights spent studying and cramming in last minute work, but looking back now, I got to meet the most amazing, kind people and because of them I have had the most memorable experience.

For four years I was lucky enough to have taken journalism.What started off as me trying a new class, turned into a second home for me on campus.The classmates and director I have worked with were always so caring and encouraging. Personally, I thank Mrs. Scott for continually pushing me to do better and stick with journalism.Without her, high school would have been very different and who knows if I would have been on the Prowler staff. I’m so grateful I had the opportunity to learn from such an optimistic and motivating teacher. Thank you Mrs. Scott for always believing in me and my ability to do better.

Everyday it was always such a relief to step into the classroom knowing I would be surrounded by a wonderful group of people. I will never forget all the laughter, all the stories, and all the crazy experiences we went through, especially this year. I’m glad I got to meet each and every one of you on staff. You have all worked so hard this year to create the Prowler and I couldn’t be prouder of how far we have come since the beginning of the school year.You’re all amazing and have definitely made this year in newspaper one I’ll never forget.

Journalism has impacted my life in several ways. I was definitely ten times more shy when I first started journalism than I am today. Journalism put me outside of my comfort zone. I was required to talk to people for interviews.Who would have thought that would be a requirement for the newspaper? Crazy right? Sometimes I’d have to walk into a class during the middle of a period and face that dreaded moment when half class turns to watch whoever is at the door. Needless to say social butterfly was most certainly not a term used to describe me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still moderately quiet and reserved, but I’m not scared to speak out and be myself anymore.
As a freshman, I was so conscious of other people’s judgements and afraid to say the wrong thing at the wrong time.

In reality, I was more harsh on myself than anyone else was on me. In the end, everyone is flawed in one way or another and if someone truly cares about you, it will not bother them, so don’t sweat it. Enjoy being who you are.

Looking forward, I am excited to be a part of Texas A&M University’s class of 2023. And although journalism has impacted my life in many ways, I will be majoring in engineering. It’s always a little nerve racking to try something new and this time I’m expected to be independent, the pressure is on, but I know I am ready to face this new challenge. Leaving high school will be bitter- sweet. Crossing the stage at graduation means the end of my high school years, but the beginning of a new chapter in my life. I will miss everyone, but I’m excited to begin a new journey. I don’t know what to expect from college, shocker, but I do know the morals and friendships I’ve made in high school will always be there to help me on my journey.
Senior Quote: “It’s your life so make the most of it.”

Nico Cortes

Well alright what did I learn is I guess the first thing I should talk about. First thing is that high school isn’t even the beginning of your actual life and serves as a medium to college which is where you actually start your life. And yeah high school sucked for me and I can’t wait to leave and get out of this place. However it should not and I highly recommend not wasting four years for silly reasons like not being social or being too shy to approach anyone for any reason at all. While it isn’t even the beginning of a much bigger journey, it is still an important place to make memories and don’t waste it while you got it because time doesn’t rewind. And you don’t wanna be sitting there one day regretting that you could have done it alot better. A piece of advice, build up strong habits early or it is literally impossible to succeed otherwise. If I had built up any sort of system or just organized myself a lot better in my earlier years I would’ve had a much easier and much better time in school because if not it invites laziness and postponing everything.Towards the middle of junior year I already had senioritis and never did any work after that point and became completely devoid of motivation and just slept through the years after. Also remember kids, don’t do drugs they will ruin your life and life is better without them. High school is just a stepping stone for greater things so if anything just don’t dropout and actually graduate at the very least so you don’t end up homeless on the streets because let’s be real you won’t become a rapper. And when you go to college (which you should) don’t go to vista and waste your early college years, go to literally any other four year college and have the time of your life or you will regret it according to Mr.Taylor. I never liked any of you and I will miss none of you. Except for Mrs. Scott.

Joseph Till

Oh, how time flies. I can still remember getting off the bus on my first day here on campus. I didn’t know where a single building was. One of my friends who is a year older than me had to show me around before the day started so that I wasn’t completely lost after the first bell rang. Four years later, it’s hard to believe that at one point I didn’t know where any of these buildings were. A lot has changed over these four years. I’ve met many new people and experienced many new things, for better or for worse. One of my best decisions over these four years was to join newspaper. It was a possible pathway that could combine two of my favorite things, sports and writing. Now, finishing my second year on staff and my first as the sports editor for the newspaper, I can confidently look back at my decision and say that it has easily exceeded my expectations. Between getting the opportunity to meet Mrs. Scott and the chance I got to meet what has been a second family to me.The bond I was able to create with our editors this year was special. I’ve had the best time getting to know both staffs and their own unique personality that each one has had.The constant inside jokes that are told just about every day are something that I will miss.Whether it’s any story of the infamous Darcy or a brainstorming day for the next issue, every day was something new and I‘m gonna miss that unexpected excitement I had every day I walked into this classroom. Along with the people, the work was so much fun for me. I loved getting to cover sports for the school and getting to interview people all around the school was a lot of fun for me. I even got to make memories outside of the classroom. The New York trip over spring break of my junior year is one of my favorite high school memories. From the longest first day imaginable to an eventful last day that trip had it all. From Mrs. Scott putting us on the wrong train to running late to Columbia sessions from an extra long lunch and meeting fun strangers in a strange place. I loved everyone who was a part of that trip and I was able to share all those experiences with them. When I first started applying for colleges this past fall I was applying as a journalism major.That was when I started to realize the impact Mrs. Scott has had on me.Talk about going above and beyond your job. Mrs. Scott has been so much more than a teacher or an advisor. At times she has been a second mother to me. Being a part of this newspaper has taught me so much when it comes to being a part of a publication and the entire publishing process.

But, more importantly, I will always remember all the good times that I had being apart of newspaper.All the laughs, the sometimes awkward silence if we were having a slow day. Every day was something different and frankly, high school is a little too scripted at times which is what made everyday so much fun and why I always looked forward to it. Another huge thank you to Mrs. Scott as well as this year’s editors, Seva, Sytha, Sally, and Faith.You guys made this year so much fun starting all the way back in August when we first started editor meetings. And another huge thank you to the rest of our staff this year, I loved getting to know all of you guys better and crack jokes while also getting some really cool and fun stuff done. I wish all of you guys the best going forward and hope you have learned and appreciated your time as much I have.

Senior Quote: “Remember no man is a failure who has friends” -It’s A Wonderful Life

Seva Hester

Standing in line at prep days my freshman year, I found myself in a predicament: A conflicting schedule. At that point in my life, I had my eyes set on becoming a New York Times’ Bestselling author so I was scheduled to take creative writing, However, an AP class I wanted to take was also during the same period. So, because of my desire to get college credit, I dropped creative writing, took the AP course instead, and was given my second elective choice: Journalism.This is why I find it hard to believe, after all these years, that I almost wasn’t a journalism kid. When I look back at the past four years, it seems totally crazy to me. But journalism completely changed my life. I would not be the person I am today if I had not taken journalism. I know how cliche that sounds, but it’s completely true. I know for a fat fact that my life would be insanely different if I had never taken journalism.

Once I started the class my freshman year, my goal was to one day be the editor in chief of our newspaper. And I’m proud to say that I achieved my goal. I’ve met so many great people along the way as well and created amazing memories with them that I will cherish forever.

A few of the notable ones are as follows:

My sophomore year, when a classmate stuck our former sports editor’s plastic pumpkins in the ceiling when she was gone one day.They’re still in the ceiling actually. We never found them. Another time that year, two of my classmates started using scissors on another one of our classmates’ hair. Let’s just say that our teacher walked in at the wrong time and we had the scissors confiscated from us for the rest of the year. (But did that really stop us though? The answer is no, it did not).

My junior year, one of our former editor-in-chief’s let me ride on top of the cart we use to deliver papers and pushed me down the sidewalk near the courtyard. I almost hit a rock and flew off from top of the cart. It was still really fun though. 10/10 recommend. And then there was the time we made recruitment videos and me and my best friend got to dress up in the mascot costumes.That was great and something I probably wouldn’t have been able to do either, so it makes me happy that it did happen. But honestly, the highlight of junior year would have to be placing 2nd in Feature Writing and placing 3rd in News Writing at the same practice UIL event. Now that, was awesome.

Now, finally, this year. My senior year. I knew it was going to be a great year when my editors and I began planning over the summer for the upcoming year. Yeah, it was early (8 am to be exact) but it was totally worth it.We forged a bond between us that I will cherish for years to come. Another memory I have from this year is when during a work night, our yearbook EIC chugged down at least a quarter of a liter bottle of Dr. Pepper and we all caught it on video.We also made another recruitment video this year as well. This time I got to be blindfolded (yes, it was Birdbox themed) and walked around campus, bumping into stuff. I also got to sit in a little innertube in a kiddie pool, using a racket as an oar, in 40-degree weather, all while blindfolded. I was freezing my butt off. Literally.Then, there was the time when my feature editor, Sally, pushed me around the room so I could act like a caterpillar, like one of the former editors from waaay back. Like, 2003 way back. (Shoutout to Lindsey Ludwig!) Another memory is when me and Sytha were being pushed along the cart while we were delivering newspapers and we rode along the back portable road before heading into J building where I sat on the top of the cart, handing out newspapers to people we passed along the way to the journalism room. But another highlight from this year would have to be that I made it all the way to State for UIL.That was the farthest I’ve ever gone and I am extremely proud of myself.

In addition to all the memories I’ve made, I’d also like to thank multiple people who have supported me throughout my time
in newspaper. I’d like to say thank you to Beckwith and Weber, for always reading the newspaper and helping me realize that even if so many people tell me that I can’t become a journalist because it’s too hard, to just keep trying because then newspapers will have to hire me. Much thanks to Mrs. Stevens as well for helping me out whenever I had deadlines by being super understanding whenever I had to leave class early. I don’t know what I’d do without her. Probably die of stress but it’s all good now. I’d also like to thank Davern (aka T-Dog) for letting me rant to him whenever I was stressed about the paper, supporting the paper and articles in general, and giving me the encouragement that I can definitely make it in the world of journalism. Oh, and thanks for the glow-sticks too. But for real, thanks for everything Davern. Don’t tell Scott this, but you’re tied with her for my favorite teacher ever.

And now, I’ve saved the best for last. There are no words I can use that would be able to fully capture my gratitude and love for you Scott. You’ve been the best teacher ever these past four years that I’ve had with you.You’re like a second mom to me and I wouldn’t want it any other way.Thanks for believing in me and pushing me to be the best journalist that I can be.Thank you for having my back, not giving up on me and supporting me through everything. I honestly have no idea what my life would have turned out if you had never been my teacher. I inwardly shudder at that thought if I’m gonna be perfectly honest. But seriously, thanks for everything you have done, not just for me, but for our journalism program. It means a lot.

Next, I need to thank some more awesome people in my life. To my editors, Sytha, Sally, Faith and Joseph, I love y’all 3000. Thanks for sticking with me and dealing with me. Y’all are absolutely the best people ever. I’m so lucky to have y’all as my editors and as friends.This year was awesome having every one of you by my side as we ran the paper.

I know that y’all always had my back no matter what and that we’d all stick together through thick and thin. I am going to miss all of you guys once we have to part ways. I know I’m never going to forget the times we shared and I want y’all to know that if you ever need me any time, I’m always here.

This is way too bittersweet. But it’s fine, totally fine. I’m not crying or anything lol. I’m as cool as a cucumber. But anyway, I hate goodbyes, so this isn’t gonna be a goodbye. It’s more like a ‘see you later’ type of deal. So, see you later OC. I guess. Or maybe just the journalism program.Yeah, that seems more fitting.
Senior Quote: “Mashed potatoes is when you mash people’s toes and you eat them -Sytha”