It Took Me Three Years To Graduate by Andrea V.

*This post was written by my younger cousin who recently graduated 8th grade. I thought it was better to document this event through her eyes for a different POV. Here are her thoughts.*

That day didn't feel particularly spectacular. I woke up at eleven in the morning, ended up lazing about for an hour, and ate fried rice for breakfast.
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Oh, and I was graduating. So after devouring the rice, I showered and got dressed. It took an hour for my hair to curl- but five minutes for it to become straight again. And to make the day a little more special, I decided to put on make up. I'm really not used to my face with makeup, but now I know I actually have eyelashes to apply mascara on. It was truly a learning experience. I never really get opportunities to get dolled up, so looking at this ultimate, beautiful goddess in the mirror was unusual.
The ceremony was held in the high school gym on a humid, hot day. In the middle school, the gym is beautifully air conditioned, and you'd think it'd be like that in the high school. No, it wasn't. It was a lengthy graduation, with speeches and awards and the year-long presentation of certificates. Nonetheless, it was a great graduation as we relived all of the class' greatest moments and said our thank-yous and goodbyes to the staff and our parents. It was a bittersweet but hopeful send-off.
(Shoutout to my sister who played at my graduation, thank you!!!)
But by the end of the ceremony, I thought, 'Now what?' The end of the year came sooner than I had expected, it also doesn't feel like I graduated. I had taken my last final the day before! I had gotten used to all the work that I feels unusual to have completed everything. And maybe in my mind middle school wasn't that big of a deal. You have the adorable, grand elementary school graduation, and the grand high school graduation. What's middle school in comparison? It's the transition year. But doesn't that fact make it important? I don't know.
Even after graduation, it still hasn't sunken in that my middle school career is over; I am no longer returning to the same school after three short months. Admittedly, I don't want to leave. Leaving requires adaptation and change, and while that's all great and normal and healthy, I believe it demands too much energy. In short, I'm exhausted and sad.
However, I'm grateful for not having a middle school career I am ashamed of. Rather, I'll look forward to looking back. In a mere three years, I have experienced and learned so many things. I've met people whom I wish to cherish and love forever and ever, and received support and love from the greatest people. (I'll work hard to make you guys proud.) Looking back, I realized that a lot happened. That's only middle school. I can't imagine on what scale high school could possibly be on.
Middle school was the longest and shortest time of my life, and I assume high school to be as such as well. I look forward to the next four years of my life and my next graduation.
Oh, and this day became truly special when we had tapsilog for dinner. It was great.