Dear Bingham,

It’s really weird knowing that these are some of the last times I’ll ever walk through your halls to get to class. I remember coming in during the picture day of Sophomore year and not knowing where I was going to fit in. There were so many opportunities in this place that I didn’t know what route I’d take. 

Sophomore year is a year of navigation. You start to feel like you are a part of something bigger than yourself, and yet you are at the bottom of the totem pole. Going to my first football game was an experience that I’d never forget. Everyone was unified with school pride, and it was a feeling I’ve never experienced before. I wanted to carry this feeling for the rest of my years at this school. 

Since then, I’ve found my place in the theatre department. The electricity that’s found on your stage is one of the most powerful influences I’ve witnessed. I’ve felt not only a sense of belonging, but a deeply rooted longing to improve myself on your stage. In “Mamma Mia” we took our final bows, and I walked off knowing that that energy would stay in the auditorium like static, until the next performance. You have molded me into the person I always wanted to be, and helped me to see the path I want to take after I leave your walls.

Looking back on that moment of uncertainty in sophomore year, it’s almost surreal knowing that I’m standing at the finish line. In a few weeks, I will walk out of your school doors for the last time as a student, and I don’t really know how to feel. 

This year has been the hardest yet. There’s been a lot of loss and a lot of personal struggle. Sometimes things like that shake you and make you falter academically, questioning how good of a student you actually are. Especially this past semester, I know that I have had many moments of struggling. But the best thing about you, Bingham, is that no one has to struggle by themselves. You have so many caring people that are teachers, faculty, and friends, who help us to see the light at the end of the tunnel. High school isn’t meant to test one’s endurance. 

Speaking to the students for a little bit, you don’t need to be perfect before going out into the real world. This is the time where you start to pay attention to who you are. Notice what makes you struggle. Find what makes your eyes light up when you learn about it. Sometimes, the best learning experiences happen outside of the classroom.

Bingham, thank you for teaching me that it’s okay to rely on others when I feel I can’t stand on my own. For the longest time I thought that in order to be happy, I had to be perfect at everything I did. Thank you for hitting me with a reality brick, Bingham. Some lessons were harder to learn than others, but you taught me much more than I could have ever hoped. 

And for that, I say thank you.

-Brittany James