Guest column by Keira Silver: Graduating Christopher high student reflects on years of education

Treasure every day for what it is and remember life is about the journey, not the destination.

By Keira Silver

Keira Silver

Since kindergarten, I have gone to school with three simple rules my parents instilled in me: listen, be good, and have fun. It taught me to be a good student and care about others, while at the same time to enjoy my own life and all it offered. I have carried these three guidelines with me throughout K-12. Now it is time for me to carry them to college.

Being a child in elementary school was easy; everything revolved around running around the playground and coloring art pieces for my parents. I did not have to worry about the real world yet, including jobs, college applications, money, classes, etc. I would say this was the easiest school experience I have had, and I will always be nostalgic about my childhood days.

Middle school became a bit more difficult in terms of progressing toward starting high school. Classes were more complex, and I had to begin acquiring volunteer hours for organizations. Field trips were less abundant, and I now had to travel from class to class. I got a locker and a laptop for learning. Most importantly, I began to talk with my teachers more and learn how to progress toward my next goal: high school. Unfortunately, I never did get a true eighth grade graduation due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.

My time from middle school to high school was interrupted by the pandemic. I completed ninth grade on Zoom, which was a very different way to begin the transition to high school. This was a difficult step, as I did not get a true four years of high school. Nevertheless, I immediately became more involved with leadership activities and opportunities within the community.

I began taking AP courses, and as the years progressed, I began to meet more people. My classmates and I formed friendships of kindness and empathy. Pep rallies, internships, and graduation began to be real. Now at the end of my senior year, my graduation that seemed so far away is now here. I am now moving on to the next chapter.

I will be attending California State University, Monterey Bay in the fall, where I will pursue a major in journalism. I wish to share stories with the world, and I want to continue my passion for writing. I am excited to be moving forward, but the next chapter of my life seems a bit scary. I will be on my own, and I will truly be beginning adulthood.

I will be meeting new people and finding new opportunities, which will all slowly lead to the next chapter of my life after college.

I am blessed to have been able to learn all of the life lessons I did from my years of K-12. I have matured as a student and as a person, and I am ready to take on what life throws at me. There will be ups and downs, but I know I will be fine thanks to my family, friends, colleagues, and community members who have respected and cared about me.

My parents have another saying: make it a great day. To me, this means to treasure every day for what it is and to remember life is about the journey, not the destination.

As I continue on through this journey, I know everything led up to this moment of me graduating high school. I am prepared to embrace this next chapter as I leave high school and all of my memories.

Keira Silver is a graduating senior at Christopher High School. During the past year, she wrote more than a dozen feature and news stories published in Gilroy Life. The team at the newspaper wish her the best as she takes her next steps in her education.