Moving from a small town meant I had to learn how to rediscover myself all over again. Everything I had known, my friends, my comfort zone and my routines was suddenly gone. I had to start over at a new school, with new faces, new challenges. At first, I felt out of place, like I didn’t somewhat belong. Now I can say as a high school senior with just 13 days (about 2 weeks) before graduation, I’ve grown so much. I’m currently playing catch-up with my work while also trying to figure out which college I want to attend and what comes next in life. My name is Jasmine Collins.
If I had a dollar every time some said, “Senior year is the best year,” I could’ve paid for prom and still had enough left over for late night snacks. What they don’t tell you is how overwhelming it can be; how much pressure builds as everything starts to count more than ever. My senior year was stressful, fulfilling, and wonderful, all in one. It came with late nights, early mornings, and more decisions than I ever thought I’d have to make at 17. I was balancing school, working on college applications, thinking about my future, and trying to hold myself together when everything felt like it was moving so fast. There were days I felt like I was drowning, like I couldn’t catch up with everything expected of me. One of the things that helped me through it all was cheerleading. From standing on the sidelines at football games to performing at pep rallies, cheer became my outlet. A way for me to express joy, pride and school spirit all in one. I still remember our last football game in Colquitt County. It felt like everything was fast forward, like time was slipping away from us. The game wasn’t just the end of football season, it was the start of realizing how close we were to the end of it all. Then came January 1st and the start of basketball season. Our first and last pep of the seasons. Standing in front of the entire school, dancing and cheering for the last time, I felt every emotion at once. Cheering for the basketball team was such a great experience. The energy was always high, and the memories we made on, and off court are ones I’ll carry with me forever. We made the cheer team a sisterhood. We were more than just teammates we were each other’s support system. Senior Night was the moment it all really hit me. As my mom walked me down the court and they announced my name and my plans after graduation, I realized just how far I had come. My mom had been there every step of the way, always supporting me, always reminding me of my worth.
Another part of my journey came from taking a leap and joining journalism. I didn’t know what to expect, but walking into Ms. Comestock classroom changed everything, what started as just another class became a place where I can find my voice. Ms. Comestock didn’t just teach journalism, she taught life. She believed in my words even when I didn’t, and that belief helped me grow in ways I never imagined. Ms. Brattebo was another light in my high school journey. Her kindness, encouragement, and constant support meant the world to me. She made school feel like a safe place. Now, with graduation just around the corner I came to my final decision to go to South Carolina State University and major in criminology with the goal of becoming a crime scene investigator. I also plan to minor in sociology, because understanding people and their stories is just as important as solving mystery. There’s still so much I don’t know. I’m becoming me one challenge, one class, one memory at a time.
