We are prepared not to be prepared. In many ways, Harvard-Westlake is a gauntlet. Over the course of high school, Harvard-Westlake has thrown many challenges our way, and whether we like it our not, we are left with no choice but to stay on our toes and endure.

Whether we come out running, sprinting or crawling, everyone does make it. And so, in this way, we are prepared for a future just like the present Harvard-Westlake we are so familiar with, a future in which we will no doubt be forced into unpredictable situations with less preparation than we expected.

However, unlike many others, we have been prepared for the unexpected, to be unprepared and endure.

Harvard-Westlake has slapped me in the face.  Throughout the years I have withstood many sleepless nights, stomached an uncomfortable number of espresso shots and still sometimes I did not meet my expectations. As a senior, it is inevitable to reflect upon your years at Harvard-Westlake.

Sadly, I face the fact that I did not achieve all that I had hoped for during my time here nor did I end up as my seventh grade self had expected.

While I did not have a clear vision of who I would be, I did have an idea of what I would have accomplished and where I would be going.
But I have come to realize that there is only so much that we can prepare for. While you might have an idea where you will be in a few years, there is no guarantee and the chances are your plans will change. My years at Harvard-Westlake have taught me thus.  Now able to count the number of school days left on my fingers, the prospect of college is no longer just an idea. At the Senior Seminars, past students told us what to expect and how to prepare.

However, we can only prepare ourselves to an extent. After that there is no option but to just see what happens. As Harvard-Westlake students, whether we realize it or not, we have learned to handle change and thrive.