During these last few weeks here at CMR every time I hear “Pomp And Circumstance” I’m reminded that my time here as a student will end soon. Going through thirteen years of school i’ll admit it’s scary for so many things to change so quickly for me. No more waking up at 6:00 am every morning to catch the paratransit or worrying about every single assignment I’m givin like I did this year. Now I’m eventually going to wake up and worry about doing my job correctly so I can get paid and be able to support myself.

But I guess there are lessons that I’ve learned through school that will help me through a lot of things and im grateful for that. Every time the same person pulled me out of a study hall and forced me to get my work done when I didn’t want to and when my case manager talked about self advocacy and told me every time to borrow an elevator pass when I would take stairs instead. Those two things have taught me some lessons that I will definitely need throughout life even though those particular things aren’t just what taught me those lessons. When you need to get work done, do what is expected of you otherwise you won’t get anywhere with it. If you need certain things do yourself a favor and get help or whatever you need, even if you don’t want to do it for whatever reason.

Even though I realize these and other lessons I’ve learned at CMR are important to help me get through life, I’ll miss a lot of things here. My freshman English teachers encouragement towards my creative writing, the fun and exciting feel to a few of my freshman year classes. The friends I have made that have left throughout the years that I probably won’t ever forget. The teacher’s i’ve come to look up to who have all taught me things that I’ll remember.

I think I can say that the one thing I’ve realized the most through my last year at CMR is that, hearing “where relationships lead to success” isn’t just something that’s said over announcements, it has so much meaning and I wish I would have realized that sooner. The relationships we have with people are so important, and I know I will miss a lot of people that I knew here, and some I might not be able to come in contact with again, but knowing everything I’ve said so far, I’ll have to move on and hopefully meet some new people, still keeping the people that I used to know in my memory. Thanks to everyone who pushed me to learn and study and get my work done, I needed it because I know now that through life in a real job that I won’t have that force and that I’ll need to find the will to achieve on my own through my goals.

Thanks to everyone who encouraged me through things that I did and who helped and guided me. Looking back now, with just a few days of school left, I can say this:

“School is just a step in to the world and finding out who you truly are, is just the start of one’s journey of life and finding out what your meant and want to truly be. It’s only just crossing that starting line when your school career ends and the rest of your life begins. One thing I’ll tell my younger sister and the future generations to come in my family is that your education is important for your future, but also, being a good person as well as following what your heart tells you is equally important as well.”

So, with all of that being said, thank you CMR and farewell. ~Breanna Hyatt.