I had my last official working day in school today and though at first I felt quite excited about leaving, towards the end I started tearing up a bit. I should have been happy; no more waking up at six am, no more uniforms, no more climbing five flights of stairs every morning but somehow I left with a heavy heart. On Tuesday I had my last ever P.E. class and my coach who never really spent much time talking to us said something that changed the way I started looking at things in school. He said, “It doesn’t matter where you come from and what your status in society is. It doesn’t matter what your job is and how big your paycheck is. That’s not what life is about. What matters is that at the end of the day you’re a good kind hearted person.” He went on to say that we go to bed with ourselves every night and wake up with ourselves every morning and it’s our actions that determine our success. It was at that moment when I realised how important this school has been in shaping me as a person. I never really took the time to appreciate all that I have been able to experience in this institution. Everything I have been through in this school from trying not to giggle while singing the three fold amen at the beginning of a school year at assembly to the Christmas concert which would cause world wars among the best of friends, from the famous banyan tree to queuing in line because they were serving “Thunder Balls” in the canteen, are memories that will stay with me forever. Everyone goes through a time when they feel like they hate school and they can’t wait to get out but there is honestly no going back once you leave. I used to be that person for the longest time but my perspective has definitely changed as I count down the days for my departure. School is definitely one of the most important aspects of an individual’s life, not just because of the education and knowledge you receive but also the journey and experiences that comes along with it. Though I still have a few months of exams left, it’s never going to go back to sitting in stuffy classrooms or running off to the washroom in hopes of skipping classes. I feel like I’m breaking up a fourteen year old relationship with a companion but I guess all good things come to an end. Goodbye Scottish, you served me well. Once a Scottishite, always a Scottishite!
-Neha Mistry 12A