It was hard to adjust to online school and getting back into things – Abbi Harris

I have learned to not take life for granted – Adrianna Viegas 

Going to school is better than Zoom school – AJ Fredrickson

You can make the most out of hardships – Alex Harris

It taught me that I’m weak: I’m weak without my family. without my friends. without my community. without people. without air to breathe. I always used to consider myself an introvert who could do with “me time” for eternity. Now, I never want to be split from my people ever again. Life’s not worth being reserved and shelled away, it’s however much you would give to live. With family. With friends. With community. With people. With air. We’ll only get the last one, when we care enough about the others to wear our masks. -Alex (Xan) Gordon

That I really need to be with people in order to function my best – Ali Brennan

Never ever give up – Amaya Enriquez

Not to take things for granted and have as much fun in high school as you can – Amber Sapp

To appreciate the little things – Angela Manno

Appreciate what you have – Anna Berry

Because of the isolation that comes with quarantine, I have learned that becoming comfortable with being alone is an important skill to have in life because there will periods of time in life where you can only rely on and motivate yourself – Anna Jacoby

Not everyone is a rule follower, unfortunately. – Anthony Quindel

Don’t take anything for granted. I took so much for granted, but I learned to do as much as I can because you only have 4 years that go by faster than anything. – Bella Crimaldi

My friends are my rock and I couldn’t have done this year without them – Bella Sassine

To value time because we never know when it’s gonna be cut short – Betsy Demanos

While everyone goes through individual struggles, we are all more similar than we think. This pandemic was terrible for everyone, but it brought us together in a new way, and allowed us to relate and connect to each other and showed us what is truly important in our lives. – Christine Ponga

Don’t take what you have for granted. At a moment’s notice, everything could change, and you still need to find a way to make the absolute most of it. – Conner Trznadel

To be more independent. I grew up a lot this year. – Eilie Riemenschneider

That we all have resilience and can adapt to the situations around. – Emily Ahrens

Do not take anything for granted because you don’t know how long you’ll have it for or when it will be your last time doing something. – Erik Gibson

Don’t take going to school every morning for granted. You’ll miss it one day. – Erika Deegan

That I need to give myself more credit than I have. – Ethan Elliott

How to manage my time better  – Fiona Olsen 

Family is probably the most important thing in life. We’re so busy with our lives, whether that be from work or school, that we sometimes forget to spend time with our family. This year has also taught me to have a lot of resilience. After a year like this, I’m confident that I can take on any challenge that life brings me. – Francesca Pollock

This year, although it has been terrible, has given me time to learn about myself. This year has also taught me to live your day like it’s your last ‘cause you never know what could happen. – Gillian Llanes

The changes this year due to COVID and all other societal shifts have made me more self-disciplined in all aspects of life. From sports, to work, and even school I have grown immensely. – Grace Marineau

I really need to pay attention in class and do all work and not slack off – Grayce Woodruff

That I am more resilient than I thought. This year was one of the hardest I can remember. School was tough, I went through a break up, my mental health was at all-time lows. But I’m still here. And I worked hard to be here, and I’m proud of myself for that. – Hazel Kocher

That you have to be comfortable being uncomfortable – Jackson Rietz

I have learned that school doesn’t have to be structured in-person, and that it’s really nice to stay home and sleep in. – Jayden Forté

I learned a lot more about going with the flow. In March 2020, everything changed at the drop of a hat and nearly all of my plans changed. The transition into online, asynchronous learning was a tough one especially with AP tests right around the corner last year. I had to completely shift my mindset because no one knew anything or what would come next. As well as going into this year with the constant debate of in-person vs. hybrid vs. fully remote and going back and forth several times between them. As a person who tends to enjoy structure and routine, the sudden changes that the past year has brought have been rough, but in the end I have learned how to better handle a break in said routine. – Jordan Tress

To not waste the small moments you have together. And to be more aware of the world around you.  – Kaitlyn Walls

There is a lot we took for granted. – Kate Lanza

Be flexible and be ready for anything. – Kaylin Mitchell

That school is a punishment, not a learning experience  – Levi Wagner

Don’t take things for granted. I missed out on what it truly means to be a senior in high school, I missed out on all the football games and seeing my friends at school instead of over the computer screen. So don’t take things for granted. – Liliana Franklin

That everything happens for a reason and you just got to learn to keep on moving forward  – Luca Listi

There’s only a set amount of opportunities in life, and it’s important to take advantage of them before they’re gone – Luke Kim

I have learned that as a student I am very capable of adapting to new learning situations. Zoom created so many problems but it was a way that we were able to continue schooling despite living in a pandemic. – Mackenzie Krystal

I feel very numb from the changes in the year, and going back to school is so weird, it’s like my classmates and I haven’t been going to school together for 12+ years. What I learned is that you just need to use your voice, speak up when no one else is talking, share your opinion (even if you think it’s wrong). Your classmates and teachers will appreciate you, plus you feel like you accomplished something. – Maddie Flint

I am stronger and more resilient than I ever thought I could be – Mara Garbanzos

COVID really f**d up my school grades but made me become a stronger person – Mary Giffin

That no matter how much anyone (myself included) will say that school school sucks, Prairie Ridge is an amazing school that will stay amazing no matter what. – Michael Salvi

I have learned how to adapt to any circumstances that are thrown at us while also enjoying life in the midst of these difficult times. – Molly Ruszkowski 

This year, I have learned the importance of self-care. It’s okay to take some time for yourself to recharge and breathe. – Morgan Maglente

I have learned to value the time I have with family and friends, as well as appreciating the good things and not dwelling so much on the bad. This has been a tough year for everyone and there have been many struggles, but we are all stronger than we think and together we can get through hard times. – Morgan Sapp

Everything is temporary, a thing, a life, it will all go away one day whether you like it or not. We must cherish the things we have while we have them. As they say, we never know how much we love something until it’s gone. – Nathan Jankowski

I’ve learned to not let anything go for granted. – Paige Aldape

You must adapt to the changing times and make the most out of every situation. It is far easier to sit around, be bored, act miserable, and stay negative than it is to adapt. However, you will only grow and succeed if you are able to react to every scenario by being positive and working hard. – Paloma Gasparov

Just do your work and worry about school and yourself – Patryk Bombala

It’s not about what I have learned. It’s about what we have learned. As Theodore Roosevelt put it, it’s not the critic who counts, not the man who points out where the strong man stumbles. The credit belongs to the man in the arena.  – Paul Lim

Life will always throw challenges at you. – Payton Smith

Make the most of each day, as anything can change.  – Rosie Rojewski

Although it was a historically weird time, the earliest parts of quarantine were some of the best of my life. With the stress of school suddenly lifted and nothing at all to do, I was able to take some time to completely relax and enjoy myself. I gained a new outlook on life, finally understanding the wisdom of what Ferris Bueller had tried to teach me before: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” – Sajiv Shah

Don’t take life for granted! Take each opportunity given and make the most out of every situation! – Sam Hemstreet

You know who your true friends are when the whole world goes dark. – Tyler Crawford