Dear Knoch High,

Thank you. Thank you for never failing to surprise me. Thank you for the WiFi that never seemed to work. Thank you for early morning metal detectors. Thank you for the inconvenient drug tests. Thank you for the 92% grading scale. Thank you for the power that never failed to go out during a storm. Most of all, thank you for being my home for the past four years.

As I sit here and reminisce on the past four years, I can’t help but feel bad. I spent so much time complaining about what’s wrong with Knoch, I never stopped to look around and see what’s so great about it. But, I guess that’s human nature. I’ve gotten so caught up in myself that I never stopped to smell the roses. I never once, not a single time, looked around to enjoy a sight that I never will see again.

I will never stand in front of a student section and lead them again. I will never once, have another senior night for a sport. I will never once be greeted by food and a blanket by Ms. T again. Never will I be stopped by Mr. Miller to joke around and roast each other, or be harassed by Mrs. Morrison. Or be treated like a grandson by Señora or Mrs. G. (Even though they could both pass as 20.) Never again will I joke on Knoch News or write an article for the Knight Times. Finally, never again will I be in the same building with the people that I’ve spent 12 years of my life with.

This, in no way, is how I wanted my time here to end. The class of 2020 lost so much. Our prom, our senior banquet, our last sport season, our prank week, our last finals week to complain about, our graduation, and most importantly our last days together. Words can’t describe the sadness I have in my heart because of this. This is something no other class can relate to. No other class can relate to losing half of their final year. On top of that we’re all quarantined so we’re also losing time to spend with our friends that’ll be leaving in less than a year.

So with that being said, I encourage you to look for the good in each day and enjoy it as much as you can, because like it or not, this is most likely how you’ll remember your senior year. I know, many of us did not all get along, but at the end of the day, I am so appreciative of all of you. You’ve shaped me into who I am. Even those of you who might hate me, thank you.

Although this article has been filled with thank you’s, I have a couple special ones. Thank you Mr. Miller for always encouraging me and raising my own expectations of myself. Thank you Ms. T for teaching me that even when you’re grown up, you can still have fun and be child-like and also for making your class a home for me for literally four years. Thank you Mrs. Morrison for teaching me to enter every day with joy and energy. Thank you Señora for showing me to look for the good in the world, because if you look hard enough, you’ll definitely find happiness and love. Thank you Mrs. G for teaching me to treat people as if they’re your own.

Lastly, a special thank you to the Wrong Crowd (iykyk). You guys have been a huge part of my life. I honestly couldn’t ask for a better group of friends. Although we will go our separate ways and most will eventually just become a memory, those memories will always be remembered as some of the best times of my life.

Lastly AGAIN, a special, SPECIAL thank you to James Johnston, Kam Grassi, and Joey Wojo. You guys mean the world to me and you’ve never left my side, I am eternally grateful. Words can’t describe how much more I want to say, but I’ll leave it at this.

If you are an underclassman, I encourage you to go the extra mile, join that club, play that sport, go to that party, shoot your shot at that boy or girl, because time goes fast and life makes no promises, it could all be over in the blink of an eye.

Goodbye Knoch High School, thank you for the ride of a lifetime.

Love,

Stobes