Four years. 1,460 days. 35,040 hours. 2,102,400 minutes. So many numbers, and it’s all over in just two weeks.

I always knew high school was going to shape and change me forever, but I never expected just how much.

The summer before freshman year, I discovered a lot of things about myself,  had an identity crisis, and was finally finding my true self.

I had been to Millard North before; various events my family and I had attended were held here. But in Aug. 2021, I stepped foot inside for the first time as a freshman. After all the High School Musical movies I watched growing up, I was finally going to experience it too. Spoiler alert: like most things, it was nothing like the movies.

I started off the year taking three honors classes, one AP class, and some graduation requirements. This was also the first year I ever took a class related to journalism, and I fell in love with it.

However, jumping into an AP history class straight from a fairly lenient year in 8th-grade American History was an unexpected transition for me. I wasn’t expecting the rigor of the course load.

I had always loved school, but I don’t think 14-year-old me was expecting the workload of the classes I chose to take.

For seemingly the first time, I struggled with my classes, keeping up with assignments, and my grades. I was also trying to balance sports, clubs, friends, and making time for myself.

By the end of the year, I had finally found a perfect balance of everything. But as it finally ended, I was ready for new classes and new people.

Sophomore year, I was doing a lot better school-wise. My GPA went from a 3.1 at the end of second semester freshman year to a 3.8 first semester sophomore year.

But on the other side of things, I was still struggling a lot with my mental health, was no longer involved in any of the clubs I was in previously, and I unintentionally found the wrong people.

Not saying this shaped my entire year, but it genuinely kind of did. I honestly wasn’t sure I was ever going to get through that year.

But despite it all, I kept trying to find the things I loved again and focused on my grades and healing, and that paid off. I was doing a lot better going into junior year.

Junior year, I finally found myself back in journalism, and I loved every second of getting into writing and photography. Now, still in this class, writing this final column, I couldn’t be happier and more passionate about pursuing this in the future.

Freshman year me would never have been this certain on anything, ever. But for the first time in my life, I am 100% certain about what I’m doing and where I’m going in life.

Sitting here and reflecting on the past few years, I can’t believe I’ve made it this far, but I did. And I’m actually going to college. Younger me could’ve never imagined this. But I’m so glad I kept fighting through it all. Through freshman funk, (severe) sophomore slump, junior jitters, and senioritis.

Wrapping this up, I have a few pieces of advice.

First, you’ve probably heard this many times, but these four years go by so fast; never take any of it for granted.

Two, take all the pictures/videos wherever you go. You will want all of these memories, I promise. The good, the bad, all of it.

Three, surround yourself with the type of people who reflect your values and who you want to be.

This one’s more general, but four: life is fragile, tell your people you love them. Always.

Well… 12 stories, five news articles, four photographed events, three opinions, two years working, one in-depth, and one sports story later… Kai Pavlova officially signing out.

This has truly been such a rollercoaster of an experience, but thank you, Millard North, for everything. And thank you, Millard North journalism, for bringing me my passion.