These past three years at MRA have been the journey of a lifetime for me. I’ve met so many wonderful friends, so many awesome teachers, and had experiences that I know I’ll never forget. I’ve never felt so passionately about a school and the people in it, that I don’t even think I can call it just a school. It’s like a second home.
Yesterday I graduated, as a part of the first ever graduating class at Molalla River Academy. Today I am a freshman.
At graduation, one of my very best friends, Brooke, and I sang the song "For Good" from the musical Wicked. The song fits my experience with everyone at this school perfectly.
This group of adults right here have inspired me so much throughout this year. I'm so lucky to have had them as my teachers--they have definitely changed me for the better in ways that I can't really explain. They helped me develop my love for learning. They helped me find myself.
So I wrote this song. It’s a song about my friends at this school. Is it cheesy? Yes. But I like it anyway. It reminds me of how MRA taught me how to be a true friend.I will never, ever forget the feeling that I got after I sang this song to a group of my closest friends. On the very last note, my voice broke because of the lump in my throat. When I looked over, the friend who was sitting on the piano bench next to me had tears streaming down her face. Pretty soon, I was crying too because I knew we all felt the same way about each other. We’re sisters. And no matter what, we’ll always be there for each other, no matter where we go.
So thank you, Molalla River Academy for giving me the best three years ever. I love you. I’ll miss you. And no matter what—I will always remember you. And because of you, the experiences I've had and the people I've met along the way, I have been changed for good.
