2019 was an interesting year, to say the least. A lot of events took place in my life, some good, some bad, but all for the better. It was a year of exponential growth for my character, morality, and disposition, and I am very grateful for the things I learned. 

2019 was the year I finally became an upperclassman. It may seem like a minor difference to some. After all, it is just one year of school, but this really made me realize how fast high school was going by. It seems like just yesterday I was lost through the halls, clutching my phone and trying to find my classrooms, but now I casually stroll down the halls talking and laughing with my friends.

It is difficult to imagine that I will be graduating in one year, and I am not certain I am ready, but I am confident that I am prepared for the challenges that are yet to come. 

I never really expected to have friends in high school. I was always led to believe that people lose their friends in high school, which may have been true for some of my grade school friends, but not to its fullest extent. In 2019 I started to appreciate my friends much more. I have friends who have stayed by my side for so long, and I cannot begin to say how appreciative I am for each of them.

I also made new friends in 2019, whom I am happy to have met and happy to spend more time with them in the future. Overall, I am stunned at how many friends I have, and I cannot wait to spend more time with them in the future.

Life, to me, is all about finding out who you are and expressing yourself to the world through the actions you do. 2019 for me was a year of finally expressing my love to the world. I am involved in the school news, which serves as a place to truly connect with the world around me, and learn more about it with every story I write. 

I started volunteering at my church and I am extremely appreciative for that. The kids I teach always brighten my week, no matter how stressful it may be, so I always give one hundred percent for them every Sunday.

Looking back on 2019, it was an amazing year for me. I built upon the foundation of previous years and even started some new projects, both literally and figuratively. I am proud of my family for keeping their unconditional love, my friends for keeping their loyalty true, and, most of all, I am proud of myself, for never stopping to grow. I am so excited for 2020, and I will always remember 2019 fondly in my memories.