I know in my heart that I’ll likely go down as one of the messiest editors this blog has seen, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

As the clock runs out on our senior year, I find myself thinking about how these halls have changed all of us as people. As one of the biggest classes Doral has ever seen, we have shared enough memories for a lifetime. While I can definitely say I’m counting down the days until our final steps as seniors, I find that there’s an interesting ambivalence that comes with graduation: Bittersweet conflict. 

What comes next is entirely up to us, our futures shine with uncertainty and excitement, but if there’s anything this institution has proven to us, it’s that we are capable of getting through any hardships. I’d like to thank my Firebird Digital family for being a part of such an important chapter of my life. To my co-manager and forever friend Melissa Ruiz, to my handful of writers who have kept the blog afloat, and to Mrs. Dayami Alvarez, who has never failed to support me, laugh with me, and scold me for the past two years in Firebird Digital. Thank you for being my rock.

They say senior year is the easiest year, but I found it the most difficult. Leaving behind the routine we’ve known all our lives, saying goodbye to the family we have built together, and opening a new chapter of our lives. I like to look back and think of all the times I’ve wished for school to end, and now I sit here begging for more time, the true meaning of “Senioritis”. 

To the graduating class of 2024, we made it. As coming of age movie as this may sound, our lives have officially started. No matter how far we go, Doral Academy will always welcome us with open arms, for once a Firebird, always a Firebird.