My entry into high school brought two preconceived notions upon me: the seniors were the most important and admired people in high school; and that I was just a lowly freshman who had no use to this world until I was to be a senior myself. Now, as a senior, I have found that these notions are completely false.

The term seniority was tossed around to me countless times in the past four years and it has begun to lose its
luster. For good reason, too, because to me the term means essentially nothing.

We have seemingly fallen into this ranking system at the high school which ranks the seniors the highest and the freshman the lowest. Obviously, age is a major factor into this and that leads to older kids picking on or disregarding the younger kids. Younger kids are seen as unimportant to the seniors because they are leaving them behind for the real world.

Let me tell you something: disregarding or picking on those that are younger than yourself because you are off to do bigger and better things is not the way to go.

What benefits you from doing so? Personal satisfaction that you are the “better” person? That does not seem ethical to me. I have had people do this to me. They probably only did it a single time to make themselves feel prestigious compared to me,  only to have that feeling fade away after several weeks. My opinion on that person has not been altered since however, so the only real hit taken was their reputation from my viewpoint.

So why don’t we start to form friendships and make connections with those that are younger or older than us? There are only advantages that come out of it. I had never really interacted with people older than me until I had played a varsity sport, but people who don’t participate in extracurricular activities and do not have those same encounters have a tougher time.

Relationships with people are crucial for success in the real world, and whether or not you want to feel superior or not as a senior, everyone ends up there. Who knows, maybe that kid you ignored became a public figure, or that freshman you picked on became your boss.

Previous relational experiences will be dreadful or favorable for you. It is your choice whether you wish to live for those few weeks of fathomed pride or for the many enlightening memories in your near future.

I will leave this school having made my decision, now it is your turn.