Tami Wood

Everybody comes up here and talks about their amazing experiences here at RHP. But not everything can be perfect.  

I left public school thinking the petty drama wouldn't follow me to RHP. But what I didn't expect was it being worse than public school. Which makes sense with how small this school is, and the class sizes. Anything and everything gets around FAST. And everyone believes the first thing they hear. Everyone gossips, it doesn't matter what your definition of gossip is. We've all had discussions with our friends that consisted of a bunch of he said she said or he did this, she did that.

I couldn't tell you how many rumors there are about me because there are too many to count. There are some that I don't even know of or have never even heard of. 

Drama will follow any teenager, especially in highschool. I can definitely agree just like most girls and guys, that I have had my fair share of drama.  I have heard these rumors about how people hate me without even having once spoken to me. Drama and rumors have been a large defining factor of my time at RHP, whether I liked it or not. As I became more mature and really realized what was wrong with this, I noticed it happening to friends of mine in younger grades and the thought of them experiencing high school the same way I did scared me. I decided to speak to them and people who should be held accountable and am glad I saw a change. In my past years, faculty have lacked holding people accountable for their actions, even sometimes themselves. The feeling of knowing I could stand up for someone that is experiencing what I had once been through allowed me to realize I have grown from my negative experiences and am better off, because of it.

Now, I'm not here today to trash the school, the people, or the faculty, I'm just trying to say what I have experienced. So, to the freshmen, sophomores, and juniors, I have experienced what you have or are experiencing. High school is a period for personal development, so take use of it. I think I have, and while I realize that I haven't quite nailed down who I am, I'm still wanting to get better.
 
Do what makes you happy and don't let society's drama and gossip control you. Dealing with parents, the breakup of a friend group, and losing a best friend. I can assure you that it won't matter in a year. If your best friend is truly your best friend, you will always be able to find a solution. Know the people you can rely on in these times. Knowing who you can count on will be a defining factor to whether or not you come out of any situation better or not.

Drama and whatever has happened in the past means nothing. Never reminisce on the past. The future is all you need to think about. And I promise you none of this highschool drama will be relevant once you go to college. Although I have been through alot I still made it out of highschool and I am going to college with my favorite person. I always thought my whole life was going to be as terrible as it was in my younger years of highschool, but it won't be. I am happy and excited for where the future takes me and you should be too. 

SHOUTOUTS

to the teachers throughout my 6 years of education here, thank you

shoutout to ms. alcott for being my favorite person in the front office

to coach mollie. Thank you for coming in as a new cheer coach. you're not only a coach but also a mentor and a friend. you’ve made it the best it could be for my last year and i really appreciate it.

to the cheer team. Thank you as well for making my last year on the team full of laughter and entertainment. I'm so thankful I got to be your captain. I hope I've made your experience on the team the best it could be. this season has been so fun and i’m going to miss you all so much
shoutout to Ashley, you're my favorite freshman and I love being your school mom. 

sky and savannah.
 
skye. I feel like we are always related to each other on a deeper level. We go through some of the same things in life. your energy is unmatchable. you're always making faces while other people are talking and I'm always trying to look for it, it always makes me laugh.
 
Savannah, I love how real you are. You our confidence is something that I admire. Your snarky comments during conversations are always making me laugh. You guys are my 2 bestfriends at this school. I honestly didn't think that we'd all have a bond so deep. I'm so glad I get to call you guys my best friends. you guys have made these past couple of years the most eventful yet. I can't imagine what I'm going to do without you guys. my life is going to be so boring.  i’m so excited for both of your futures. your both amazing people and i can tell your going to change the world someday.  i hope you guys still continue to fill me in on all the gossip next year. i love you both so much. don’t miss me too much

alec. I know it's cliche but words cannot describe how much you mean to me. I'm so grateful for you and all that you do.  we’ve been superglued to the waist since we’ve met. I'm so proud of who you’ve become and all of your achievements. You are such an amazing person and you deserve everything that comes to you in life. you're always so dedicated and committed and it's such a good quality to have. I'm so excited for where the future takes us.

Mom and dad. You guys have done so much for me since I was born. I'm so thankful for the life you both have given me. the memories we have made as a family will always stick with me. I know I don't show or tell it as much but I do love you both so much. I'm going to miss you guys in college but I know you guys will always be one phone call away.