i ♡ 12ap :)


niche, i know

wow my last blog. Or I guess of high school (I tell myself I'll keep adding to this in college, but who knows). I have been writing blogs since 11th grade in Mrs. Valentino's class -- suffering every sunday at the 4pm deadline to get in a blog I barely knew was about. However, as time has gone on, I have learned to love it --- every week I look forward to writing, or maybe ranting actually, about the topic at hand. Whether its about Mersault's weird absurdist mindset about rejecting love, or Siddhartha's crazy adventures to enlightenment, whatever it was, I loved every part of it. Makes me sad to think this is the last diary entry of senior year. However, there are many things I have learned over the course of this year -- things that have proven themselves invaluable that I will carry forward to college, and even maybe beyond that. Here are some books we read over the year that have changed my mindset on life (not to be dramatic lol :D)

1. The Vanishing Half

I read this book with my book club towards the beginning of the year, and since the first page, I have loved every part of it. Brit Bennet explores themes of loss and memory, shown through Stella and Desiree's diverged paths in terms of identifying with themselves and how they see the world around them. Additionally, she fixates a huge aspect of the book on self-identity, and knowing who you are, despite pressures from societal perspectives. She focuses on how, despite Desiree facing discrimination and prejudice against her and her family, she perseveres and stays true to her roots. This resonates with me, as towards the beginning of high school, I didn't really have a strong grasp on my identity. I wasn't sure who exactly I was or what I wanted, but this book taught me to stay true to myself and do what I truly loved, whether that didn't necessarily agree with others. This applied when it came to choosing what path I wanted to follow in life, so this has been a huge step towards my success in senior year.

2. Death of A Salesman

This was one of the first few playwrights we read in class, and at first, I just thought of it as a boring play we were beginning to read, similar to Much Ado About Nothing or Hamlet in the past years. I was really tempted to tune out and not pay attention (Sorry Mrs. Feldkamp :DD), but I decided to give it a go and learn what this old man was really about. Reading this taught me so much about setting realistic expectations for myself while still staying true to my determinations and aspirations in life. Seeing Willy's relentless pursuit towards success made me realize how chasing your ambitions, although is very rewarding, can also lead to a loss in identity and purposefulness, so its important to stay realistic. This was a major realization point for me in senior year, and really helped me going forward!

3. Othello

This play, let me say, was a rollercoaster to say the least. There was so much chaos going on, with characters dying and Desdemona not even trying to fight back (she kinda made me mad ngl like please stand up for yourself what are you doing). It was definitely fun, acting out the play (my stomach hurt from laughing so much), and I loved this segment of 12ap! However, I also learned a lot, especially about manipulation. Iago was easily able to twist his words and plan the seeds of deception in Othello's ears, making him vulnerable to his plans. It taught me to be aware of what's around me and to stay alert. It also explored themes of appearance vs. reality, and how things are not always what they seem. It taught me to stay conscious of what happens around me, and not always easily place my trust into things.

me when im deceived into thinking dinner's ready

Along with these countless lessons I have learned throughout my senior year, there have also been multiple good memories I have had throughout my years here at troy high :) They have made my years so much fun and full of nothing but love :) Here are some of them - a mix of good and bad!

1. My "last first" football game of senior year -- i made so many memories with my band friends that night! We played our first full show of Dream On, and although we almost got ran over by a giant, 20 foot metal stage, we made it through!

2. Accidentally setting my table on fire during galentines with my best friends -- there were a lot of screams that day...but we saved it!

3. My Model UN conference junior year to UofM with some of my friends -- we made so many fun memories, hanging out around downtown with the stress of midterms weighing down our backs. Still fun though!

4. Annual christmas parties at my flute teacher, Mrs. Jen's house -- decorated cookies, went xmas caroling, and ate lots of pizza!


5. My last ever band camp with some of the best people ever -- a week full of stale pancakes, lots of piggyback rides, and loads of salty seawater up my nose.

6. Dressing up as the powerpuff girls for halloween -- my stomach hurt from all the candy we ate ugh

7. The time we rode a super scary ride at Dollywood on a trip to Gatlinburg, TN with my friends -- overcame my fear of rollercoasters though

8. Crashing our beautiful new Honda CRV in the garage only a day after getting my permit -- Sorry, dad! (damage wasn't too bad)

9. Paying 15$ for Crumbl Cookies expecting actual cookies -- only to get a weird chocolate pie that was most definitely not cooked

10. Making smores in AP Chem after finishing our AP test -- almost lit the table on fire :)

Looking back, I have learned so much over these past few years at troy high! I have learned to grow as a person, learn from my mistakes, and especially, I realized who I was and what I wanted to be. These memories are some I will cherish forever, and I want to thank all my teachers, friends, and mentors who have helped me get to this point. Thank you troy high, and thank you Mrs. Feldkamp for everything -- from stellar writing feedback to unforgettable advice about how to get through life. thank u 12ap :)


ps. shout out to my two english buddies, angie and taki for gettijg thru ap lit w me :) so many laughs and giggles w u guys! 💓

- prish signing off!

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