Julia Bailey
I cannot begin to convey the way in which my high school experience has forever altered my sense of self. I entered high school small, nervous, and eager to make something of myself. I can confidently say joining the soccer team was the best thing I did for myself not only as a player, but as a young woman learning to navigate relationships and challenges. I was privileged to make Varsity as a freshman, but I was terrified with every step I took, every pass I received, and any mistake I could possibly make. However, playing with older, more experienced girls allowed me to build confidence in my abilities and come out a strong young woman, who is never afraid to use her voice. These past two years I was given the opportunity of being captain which allowed me to work on myself to be someone others could look to for a word of encouragement or guidance whenever they were in need. What I am most grateful for is the friends I have made along the way, which last a lifetime.
I am eternally grateful to the DLI program for pushing me out of my comfort zone and giving me a unique and unmatched advantage for my future. My only regret in high school was not joining Bear Pals sooner, and I recommend everyone join as the patience, joy, and camaraderie I gained from that club will never be forgotten. I cannot emphasize enough, join more sports, more clubs, more everything. Go to more sports games, more plays, more events. Become passionate about something and find your people. You will never receive all the advantages this school and community have to offer if you do not put yourself out there.
I only joined Spotlight last year because I had not heard of it before — an issue I hope no one suffers from in the future — but I am so grateful I did. I loved the process of choosing a topic, interviewing people, carefully crafting my opinion on whatever topic I liked, and seeing my writing published. However, it was being an editor I liked most of all; reading others’ work and helping them find the perfect phrasing to showcase a beautiful story. Having Mrs. Yeyna as a mentor meant more to me than she could have known, and I thank her for infinitely improving my passion for literature. If you love to write, join Spotlight, it won’t disappoint.
As I finally depart from this school full of fond memories, I also want to thank all of the teachers and supervisors for every smile and kind word, we appreciate you all more than we showcase. I plan on continuing my education at UC Santa Barbara in the fall, majoring in Political Science. I hope you make the most of your years here, and remember, this won’t be your peak. There is so much more out there in the world, just waiting for you to come find it.
Pascale Gibbs
My time at Poly has been the best years of my life. I have been involved in so many activities on campus that have allowed me to make so many friends and amazing memories. I will never forget the past 4 years.
My freshman year was online due to COVID, so I did not make many friends while quarantined in my room. However, my sophomore year was in-person and I quickly started to love our special school. As weird as it sounds, I enjoyed finally having work I could do on paper. My favorite part of my sophomore year was taking AP European History with Mr. Zlaket. Being my first AP class, it made my sophomore year much harder, but also so much more fun. To this day, AP Euro is my favorite class I’ve taken at Poly.
My junior year was the busiest of all. I was in 10 clubs, and was introduced to mock trial; at the time, I had no clue that joining would be the best decision I could make. Mock trial completely changed my life. In just my first few months, it changed the trajectory of my life path, helping me discover my passion for lawyering. Continuing into my senior year, we ended up winning county and placing fifth in the state competition. I cannot express how grateful I am to have been part of such an amazing team.
If I’m being completely honest, senior year has been filled with senioritis and stress over college; however, this hasn’t stopped me from enjoying my last few months as a high school student. As a senior, I was lucky enough to become a spotlight editor. After starting out as a writer, my junior year, I was promoted to editor my senior year and have had so much fun publishing and working together with the writers. I would recommend spotlight to any underclassmen who is passionate about or writing – it’s a great experience and will help you improve your writing skills.
My last words of advice based on my high school experience is that it doesn’t matter how many experiences you do or don’t have. What really matters is that whoever you choose to surround yourself with are genuine and truthful. Join a team, of course I would say to join mock trial, but any team will do. Find your passion and live it. Class of 2024 signing off.
Mackenzie Watkins
Oh my goodness. It feels like just yesterday when I was an eighth grader getting ready for an extra few weeks of spring break because of COVID-19. Well here I am four years later, ready to graduate high school.
The past four years have been a whirlwind of emotions. I remember waking up one minute before school during my freshman year, and logging into Google Meet. I miss the joy of walking onto a high school campus for the first time in my sophomore year. I recall the nail biting stress for my first AP exam junior year, and the bittersweet feeling of my final first day of high school this year.
Poly, thank you for the incredible memories you have bestowed upon me. Unfortunately high school is nothing like High School Musical, but Poly was somehow able to bring life to the not so musical hallways. I am proud of all my accomplishments in the past four years, especially my work in Spotlight. This school newspaper has meant the absolute world to me. Never would I have thought I would be an editor after just one year as a staff writer, but I am honored to be given the opportunity to learn and grow from the works I have reviewed. My time in Spotlight has truly been an incredible experience, with all the collaboration with my peers, phenomenal new friendships, and discovery of my love for journalism.
As I prepare to embark on this new chapter in my life, I would like to thank those who have made my high school experience truly magical. Thank you to the Mock Trial team for giving me some of the best friends a girl could ask for. Thank you to Mrs.Yeyna and Madame Kund for being such excellent mentors to me throughout my academic journey. Thank you to my parents for putting up with my craziness while I conquered my teenage years. Well Poly, that is all from me. And in case I don’t see you, good afternoon, good evening, and good night.