Written by: Mackenzie Watkins, Editor in Training
MEMORIES: Annabelle Lindwall looks back on the good, the bad, and the mundane parts of her high school career.
The incredibly talented, Annabelle Lindwall, will be saying farewell to Poly High School as she continues her journey in this roller coaster called life. When Annabelle’s high school career first began she never expected she would be where she is today. “I was very nervous, but so ready to meet a ton of new friends,” Annabelle explained. At the beginning of her freshman year, “[she] was mostly excited about all of the new people [she] was able to meet.” Annabelle was able to accomplish her freshman-year goal and made a group of friends she still holds dear today.
Then, as her sophomore year rolled around, the pandemic stuck the world resulting in Annabelle being stuck in front of a screen to complete another year of high school. Despite the catastrophe that was COVID-19, she strived to achieve academic success, though she has some regrets. “I regret not getting more involved with school clubs and extracurriculars when I was an underclassman,” she explained. “Yes, my sophomore year was during COVID, but I wished I had joined some more clubs.” Annabelle learned from her mistake as an underclassman, attempting to assimilate into high school, and during her years as an upperclassman became full of Poly pride.
Junior year marked a wave of change for Annabelle, as she became more involved on campus. “I am proud of how I was able to balance my academics and extracurriculars,” she explained. During her junior year, Annabelle exclaimed her pride over her ability to maintain a 4.5 GPA while participating in Mock Trial and Amnesty Club. “I was also able to complete over 100 volunteer hours,” she gleefully stated. As many know, junior year is considered the hardest year in high school and Annabelle was able to establish herself as a Poly scholar during such a difficult time for students.
Similarly to her junior year, Annabelle continued to balance academic success and extracurriculars in her senior year. Annabelle became the president of the Amnesty Club and won several awards as an attorney on Poly’s Mock Trial team. Now, as the successful senior she is today, Annabelle has some advice for her freshman self. “I would advise my freshman self to focus more on the present and stress less about everything to come.” Annabelle, “wishes [she] had taken each day one step at a time, instead of taking on too much stress about the months to come.” She urges her freshman self to “stop and smell the flowers every once and a while.”
As her high school chapter comes to a close, she is excited about the adventures that lie ahead. Annabelle plans to go to UC Santa Cruz to major in politics; go slugs! “After completing my four years of undergrad, I hope to attend law school,” Annabelle explains. High school is four long years of an individual’s life, and Annabelle Lindwall is the perfect example of how to conquer life as a high school student.