If someone had told me in eighth grade I’d be doing this, I would never have believed it.

When I first heard about applying for Torch, I didn’t seriously consider it. In fact, if my English teacher hadn’t given me a little encouragement, I don’t think I would have given it a shot at all.

It turns out joining Torch was the greatest decision I made in the span of my four years. Not only did I discover how much I actually enjoyed writing and reporting, but I also got to know an extraordinary group of people while having experiences I couldn’t find anywhere else in the school.

This isn’t meant to be a plug for Torch. The point is that although uncertain about joining the newspaper staff, I decided to try something new. As I look back on high school, I’ve had tons of great experiences and some not so great experiences, but the only regrets I have involve activities I didn’t do and experiences I didn’t have.

A wise man once told me he’d rather regret living a moment than regret not living a moment at all because then at least he lived. I can’t stop thinking about these words. For as great of a time I’ve had here, I still wonder what my life would have been like if I tried broadcasting or played another sport. These are questions I’ll always have, and it’s too late for me to change that, but it’s not too late to take this lesson to heart.

Whether at GBN, college or anywhere else, I beg you to make the most out of your next few years. You’ll always wish you could change some outcomes, but if you can look back and say you took advantage of every opportunity, you will have no regrets.

Many people create bucket lists near the end of senior year to squeeze in all the fun, and I have to admit I’m one of them. In the past few months I’ve gone to parades, weeknight movies, midnight premieres, a badminton match and much more. Yet even with all this fun, I’ve begun to wonder why we wait until we’re seniors before we take the time to enjoy life.

Even when school seems overwhelming, there is always time for a little fun as long as you plan ahead. Don’t wait until your high school career is coming to a close before you try what you’ve always wanted.

I don’t know what’s in store for my next four years at college. I just hope that if you told me now, I wouldn’t believe it.