Thinking of how to write this, I contemplated whether or not I should make a joke out of this.

No, I thought — my senior year has already been enough of one.

I never pictured myself in this situation when I first walked through the halls of Blue Valley as a 14-year-old.

The very fact that I am in newspaper to begin with is somewhat of a miracle — you could even go as far to say it was a mistake. Newspaper was never meant to be for me. I only joined because my brother encouraged me to do so.

I walked into this class as a junior not knowing anyone and not knowing what to expect. The idea of trying something new scared me, and as an underclassman, I could never have imagined a version of Kyle Elmendorf who wrote for The Tiger Print.

But here we are, and I wouldn’t trade these last two “mistake-ridden” years of newspaper for anything.

I think most of our lives are based off chance, just like how I am in newspaper. I don’t think anyone is where they are for any specific reason other than they met the right opportunity at the right time.

My words are only here because of one person’s advice. I got my job at Fortune Wok only because I happened to be in sixth hour debate sophomore year with a kid I barely knew who sat next to because our last names were close alphabetically. Oh, and we also ended up becoming best friends.

Let the very fact that you are reading my senior column show you how much one person can change in four short years. I didn’t know who I would be once I finally walked out of BV for the final time. But, now, here I am, and I still don’t know who I am exactly — except someone who still has a lot of learning left to do.

If there’s anything to be learned from my high school experience, it’s that you should never let the fear of the unknown discourage you from trying something new.

I’ve been able to meet so many new people and learn all of their stories these last four years just because I was unafraid to do something I’ve never done before or talk to someone I’ve never talked to before — and this is just high school.

This is just high school. I sometimes have to remind myself of this. There was a time before it, and there will be a time after it — a lot of it, actually. This is just one small chapter in a very, very long story, no matter how much we get caught up “living in the moment.”

It is said the best things in life always leave you wanting more, and I guess it’s true with high school as well — except I will never have another chance to be a student at BV. I know I’ll miss high school, but I’m excited for what my future has to offer.

Maybe my future self is reading this — perhaps I did actually peak in high school and want to relive the “glory days.” Or maybe I’m just going through my old high school memories and remembering what I’m the most proud of from high school.

Maybe it’s this article.

Maybe it’s my one — and only — cross country medal from La Cygne, or all of those “letters of participation” from JV sports or maybe I still even have my T-shirt from winning my rec basketball league.

But maybe, just maybe, my proudest moment won’t be any medal or award; perhaps it’s the memories and relationships that will stay with me no matter how far I am from the halls of BV.