High School for me was a time where I had the opportunity to challenge myself in every aspect. Annandale High School allowed me to have the opportunity to grow and be able to confront challenges that I would later face when attending college. Teachers like Ms. Stevens (Photography), Ms. Richardson (IB Topics), and Ms. Jimenez (IB Spanish) allowed me to dream and want to make a difference in the world.

I will never forget the last day at Annandale High before graduation when Ms. Richardson decided to play Vienna by Billy Joel for our class. The lyrics to that song have resonated through all three years of my college career, and there is not a day that I do not remember her wonderful life lessons. Annandale High School allowed me to meet my greatest friends. I remember all the wonderful memories Andrea Lopez and I made when we took Anthropology with Ms. Miller. Now that I think about it, her quizzes were always fun to study for, especially when we were learning about the Yanomamo. Spanish class was always our break during the day. It was the time where our Hispanic community came together to learn about our culture. Even if it meant reading long novels and annotating them, I know we all really enjoyed each other's stories and learning from Ms. Jimenez. There was not a minute of silence in that class, we all use to laugh so much and annoy the heck out of each other.

Football nights during the fall were always the most fun nights for everyone. It was a chance to meet up with all your friends and cheer on our alma mater. It was always great to see the red, and white painted on our students. It was a time where the seniors had the chance to rally up in the parking lot and body paint themselves with the word ATOMS. We were always very supportive and proud of our high school. Basketball season was also a wonderful time at our school. Especially when it came down to seeing Diana Hurtado play on the court. To this day, she's still one of the best basketball players I know, and my best friend. Spring has coach Harris written all over it. I remember how much he pushed our track team to be our very best.

In addition to all the social aspect and learning I've had the chance to experience, my favorite part about high school will always be the traditions. For our senior prank, I remember the class of 2013 had the best prank ever. Too bad it got taken down before it could be seen by everyone that morning. But trust me, guys, it was going to be an interesting morning for all Atoms that day. At our Senior OJ Pong tradition, we all had the chance to hang out before school started in the parking lot and say bye to good friends as they headed to accomplish their dreams. Lastly, the moment every freshman atom awaits for is being able to sit in the senior courtyard. It will never hit that you are a senior until you go and sit in the courtyard with your friends.

You see for me Annandale High School allowed me to experience four unforgettable years. I had the chance to learn so much from the people around me that when I attended college things did not seem so scary. I truly hope that future Atoms have a similar or better experience than I had at this school.