What is Your Legacy?
Notes from Graduating Seniors
Kyle Weeks
Throughout high school one can go through many phases. Freshman and Sophomore year include that of awkwardness and finding yourself. Junior and Senior year are years of confidence and thinking about the rest of your life. Though these four years have their stages, the one thing that will never change is the legacy one leaves on campus. I would hope that I leave a feeling of perseverance and strength, a path of success, and the desire to strive to be a better person day after day.
Over the past four years our class has gone through numerous hard situations. From family issues to health problems, our class has seen it all. However, one thing we have continued to do is show our perseverance. We bond together and pick each other up and move forward. This also carries over to athletics. We went from not making boy’s playoffs in any sport my freshman year to making it in all three sports my senior year; it has been a journey. I would hope to be a major building block in that tremendous change. Being a leader of a team that has been through that much makes me honored to call every single one of my teammates my brothers. I want everyone to see the hard work and dedication my classmates, teammates, and I have put into what we have done. I hope people see that we believed in the process and put our thoughts to action. Our work proved to pay off and build the program to have the success it has today.
Success is not something that just shows up one day. It is earned by everyone that has the passion to work at it. I have always been the person that hates failure. I hate it more than I enjoy the feeling of success. Over the years, I have studied those who have left legacies and tried to immolate their footsteps. A few ways I have done this is through the new program for children with learning differences that I help create, completed two huge fundraisers for student council at the end of this year, and finished top of my class in front of some very impressive classmates, all of these from a child who struggles severely with dyslexia. I want fellow students not only from high school, but also a young age to see that you can be success no matter the difficulty. If you work hard and believe in yourself you can accomplish anything through Christ. Goals are only temporary but heart and willingness to fight for your success is what people will remember about you and I hope people see that in me. Though accolades and success is nice, at the end of the day that does not matter if you do not have the character to match it.
Being a man of character surpasses more than just being good at things. It means you make others around you better which in turn makes you better. Being nice to people when they do not necessarily deserve it or showing kindness to a fellow classmate when they need help with a paper are examples of character development. John Maxwell said, “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” I want to be known as that person that made others thrive. I will feel like I have achieved my goal of becoming a better man by watching those who follow me succeed. It is a special feeling to know that you played a small role in their life in a positive way. At the end of the day I want to be known not just as a leader but a man who follows God’s heart. David is one of my favorite people in the Bible because no matter how many mistakes he made God still forgave him and he pushed forward and learned. I want to be remembered as a David who became better each day he listened to God.
First impressions are more important than you think and can impact the way you leave your legacy. Through the tough times, I hope people saw that not only me but my class had the perseverance and strength to push through any obstacle put in front of us. Year after year we found new ways to improve and help establish a path of success for classes to come. In the end I hope my impression is that I am a better person than when I first started high school. We all leave a legacy; so what kind will you leave?
Levi Baumann
Some of my characteristics include: humility, peacefulness, and wisdom. Honestly many people will not remember me simple because of my lack of presence in a room. I don’t judge others for not remembering me. What I want however is for people to remember me as a positive person who shows strong Christian character in whatever I do. That is something that I have tried to make a goal this year as a senior in high school. I want to make a positive impact on others not necessarily by my words but rather by my actions.
Abby Fields
Freshmen year I was part of two competitive teams: cheer and D.I. Both teams were filled with people who had incredible strong voices. This was the year I felt silenced. I was respected for being obedient, and for doing what I was told, but not valued or listened to for the ideas that I had. Throughout the years I’ve learned how important it is to be able to tell the difference between these two things. Everyone deserves to be heard. From sophomore year on, I have been trying my best to use my voice, even if others choose not to take what I say into consideration. Also, I have done my very best to not just listen to the voices of others, but to empower them to speak up as well.
Caleb Youngblood
Life is way too short to always be mad at something or someone. I always try to be joyful and realize every day is a gift from God; so do not take it for granted. Laughing is something I enjoy every day, whether that be roasting a good friend or watching “The Office”. I try to make others joyful as well and bring humor to situations and people I am around. I have found that humor makes everyone feel better and brings relief to stressful situations.
Connor Weeks
The beauty of life is that everyone has a story. Some are good while others are bad, but I believe life is what you make of it. You cannot control a majority of the events that occur in your life; however, you can control your reaction to them. People take note of how you react more than the simple words they hear you speak. In return, you’re leaving a legacy. I hope to influence people by showing my positive reactions towards events in my life and leave the legacy of positivity with a few simple steps.
All throughout my life I have tried my hardest to see the bright side in every situation. I have not, by any means, had too tough of a life but there have been some rough patches along the way. The biggest downfall to my story is growing up without a biological father. While that seems horrible at first, it has been one of the most impactful life events to me. Not only has it given me a picture of what life down that road looks like, but it has also given me another reason to strive for a lifelong marriage, a marriage without deceit or lust. I not only attempt to look for positivity within every situation but want to leave that legacy.
A legacy can be defined as something that is handed down. All throughout life we are building a reputation. Every decision, whether we realize it or not, is contributing to that reputation. While it may take years to build one up, it takes only a few seconds to completely lose it. Over my high school career, I have tried my best to be as positive as I can. That does not only mean looking for bright sides but also ways to encourage people and build people up. While you cannot physically hand down positivity, I do believe there are some simple steps you can take to leave that legacy.
All throughout my life I have tried my hardest to see the bright side in every situation. I have not, by any means, had too tough of a life but there have been some rough patches along the way. The biggest downfall to my story is growing up without a biological father. While that seems horrible at first, it has been one of the most impactful life events to me. Not only has it given me a picture of what life down that road looks like, but it has also given me another reason to strive for a lifelong marriage, a marriage without deceit or lust. I not only attempt to look for positivity within every situation but want to leave that legacy.
A legacy can be defined as something that is handed down. All throughout life we are building a reputation. Every decision, whether we realize it or not, is contributing to that reputation. While it may take years to build one up, it takes only a few seconds to completely lose it. Over my high school career, I have tried my best to be as positive as I can. That does not only mean looking for bright sides but also ways to encourage people and build people up. While you cannot physically hand down positivity, I do believe there are some simple steps you can take to leave that legacy.
One of my biggest goals in life is to be intentional. Not to just live life according to whatever happens but live as if you have something to live for. With that being said we must learn look past ourselves and to live for others. When the world stops becoming about how you feel and more about how you make others feel, the world will begin to change. We must encourage one another. We must establish a bond with one another that is built off of positivity. All you have to do to make someone smile is put a little extra effort into being positive.
I am a firm believer that you can change the world one smile at a time. People notice the little things you do. From asking if someone is alright to giving them a compliment, people will see your positivity. No matter your story, good or bad, you have the power to leave the legacy or positivity.
Noah Farkosh
Whatever you choose to do with your life, be proud of the person you have become, even if that means accepting some ridicule…Have humility and willingness to admit mistakes. Nobody is perfect. When you make a bad decision, let those who are watching and learning from you know that you made a mistake. Show them how you plan to correct it by apologizing, accepting responsibility and correcting your course.
Kyle Wittmer
Hard work is very important to me. My Grandpa is the hardest worker I know. He worked hard his whole life in order to provide for his family. Because of his work, I do not have to worry about my college tuition and much more. I have extreme respect for my Grandpa and I would like to provide for my family the way that he did. I can automatically respect a person for being a hard worker, which is why I want to be membered as a hard worker.