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.