It is now time to say my farewell; for the past four years, you have been my home and the greatest adventure I could have ever embarked on. Just a couple of years ago, I was getting off a plane and awaiting my new life in the United States, unaware of what or even where Minnetonka was. This was about to change really fast…
In movies, you see the United States represented by a collection of cheerleaders, high school dances, and an unhealthy amount of pink-sprinkled donuts; however, to me, it was so much more. Thanks to Minnetonka, I have been able to become the person that I am today; I have become resilient, passionate, and hardworking thanks to the countless teachers and classmates who have accompanied me throughout my high school years. To them, I want to say thank you. I want to thank all of those teachers who were largely involved in my success with the IB Diploma. This program has brought me some of the most academically fulfilling opportunities ever.
I want to give a special thank you to four teachers, Ms. Mosiman, Ms. Harley, Ms. Duncan, and Ms. McWhirter. Ms. Mosiman, you have taught me how to embrace my virtues and always reach higher, as well as your ability to see beyond the surface and discover the greatness in people’s abilities. Ms. Harley, you have become my mentor and one of my biggest support systems. You took a chance on a little sophomore me and allowed me to succeed in my favorite role, MUN captain. Your loving nature helped me and many others feel extremely welcome and safe in the club. Ms. Duncan, I want to thank you for allowing me to see even an ounce of your teaching. Your ability to radiate your passion for the topics that you teach is an aura that makes your class an extremely gratifying environment to be in every day. You passed down your passion for social studies to me, and I will always be eternally grateful for that. And to Ms. McWhirter, who always took the time to hear me out and proved to be one of the most loving teachers ever, your endless support and my admiration for you will never be forgotten.
Minnetonka allowed me to meet my closest friends and for that reason, I owe Minnetonka most of my happiness during high school. To my friends who I have made along the way. To iMessages, who even though I know I will get made fun of for this, I am eternally grateful for. You are my best friend, and I can’t imagine having spent these last two years of high school hanging out with anyone else. To my girlfriends, Ava, Deepti, Karina, Zeynep, Ashley, Katherine, Sophia, Kiera, Anna, Opal, Lily, and Fernanda, plus so many more, you have all filled my life with so much love and laughs that I won’t be able to repay, I hope that my future daughters turn out to be just like all of you. Nearly everything I know about love I have learned from all of you, and I am eternally grateful for that. And even though we might be embarking on new adventures miles apart, I know that I will still hold you close regardless of where we are in life, and I couldn’t imagine better friends to have had.
To the class of 2024, thank you for becoming part of my life but, most importantly, my American Dream; although I definitely couldn’t describe my high school experience like Troy and Gabriella’s, it was definitely the best version of what I thought my American Dream was going to be. Some classes pass through high school without having an impact on the school. We are not those students; we have proven ourselves over and over again, demonstrating resilience, strength, and passion. I had the time of my life with you.
To Minnetonka, for being my American Dream:
Thank you,
Paula Calleja, signing off.
