As the year comes to an end for me, I’ve been thinking about the impact I’ve had on the younger generation that currently goes to Chester High School. Not only that, but the entirety of the school. I’ve been fortunate enough to have the motivation to work towards goals and participate in school activities, winning awards in the process. However, I will be leaving the school in about ten weeks and I have so much more I want to accomplish. So here is my senior wish list! These are the things I would like to see changed regarding the high school, the student population, and the staff population.

#1 – My first wish is to see the student population find meaning again. What do I mean by that? While many things change over the years, the one thing I saw decreasing that shouldn’t have been was student morale and student expectations. COVID-19 is the primary excuse for this, but I think it dives deeper than that. The main reason I think student expectations have been lowered is because they expect nothing of themselves. Of course, there are always the overachievers who strive as hard as we did. However, the majority of students see the responsibilities of being a high school student and actively do the bare minimum to get by. I’ve heard underclassmen say “I don’t try” or “I don’t care” with a grin on their faces. They need to realize that they are worth a lot more than they set themselves up to be. And it’s not entirely their fault they feel this way. Most teachers during COVID actively lowered their expectations after moving to the digital workspace in order to keep students passing the grade. In turn, the students didn’t feel challenged or expected of anything, so they began to lower themselves, as well. How do I know this? Because I used to be the student who slacked off during COVID. I didn’t see the reason for trying since all the work was attending a laggy Google DMeet with teachers who were told specifically not to challenge us. The second half of my freshman year I passed with a P, not an A, B, or C. For underclassmen, though, they got stuck in grade school virtual lessons and high school didn’t seem any different. With that being said, even though the circumstances were awful, there is still meaning in trying to achieve something. Not because of expectations or because of what others think of someone, but because they deserve the experience of life. Life isn’t easy, but being able to participate is a journey that is worth exploring.