PHOTO COURTESY/ Brianna Tong
By Brianna Tong,
Graduating Sports Editor
Say that you are a fruit, one that has been growing daily on a branch, only getting sweeter and larger as the days go by, the insides brimming with goodness.
As a fruit from the tree of high school, I have been learning and developing these past four years, soaking up nutrients of wisdom to help me transform from a small seed to a luscious fruit, vine-ripened to perfection.
There’s beauty in a fruit being ripened and picked out at the perfect time. But obviously, a lot goes into producing such a fruit.
In my time at high school, there was so much growth involved. As cliche as it sounds, high school really did help transform me as an individual, allowed me to capture Kodak memories that I will always have to appreciate and most importantly gifted me with invaluable lessons to help me in my process of discovering who I am.
One of the most significant factors that allowed me to grow is my time with Rampage. Through Rampage, I was able to develop an eclectic approach to learning. This includes being open to listening and seeking to understand ideas that contradict my own, allowing me to bloom into a much more mature and sensible person than who I was before.
I also developed a passion for writing and voicing my opinions. We as a school are so fortunate that we have a student-run publication that prints consistently, the pages flooded with young voices who fearlessly represent what they believe.
I am beyond grateful that Rampage fueled me to take a step further as I had incredible opportunities to work and write for platforms like the Los Angeles Times and CalMatters, all of which allowed me to take my storytelling to the next level and grow into a confident young woman who is not afraid to speak up for what she believes in.
I have been nurtured, tended and cared for under the guidance of my peers and the staff at this high school. All the relationships that I have cultivated throughout high school are ingredients necessary for growth.
In the same way, fruits don’t blossom on their own. They need water, soil, nutrients and constant care for them to take on their full potential. There are so many people that helped me grow and develop passions that helped me take the first step in discovering my identity.
In my time at high school, I realized that relationships mean doing things together. It’s not always about deep, long conversations or pushing through hard times. It’s walking together through campus, going on “study dates,” being a nuisance in public and the peals of laughter over trying to take pictures for my weekly photography assignments. I treasure these moments. These relationships. High school would not have been the same without them.
Now it’s time for me to leave the tree. When a fruit is left on a branch it starts to overipe and eventually rot. It needs to be picked out at the perfect time. I, all of us, will be able to use our gifts in unfathomable ways in this next chapter of our lives.
Every moment, every lesson, every difficulty we endeavored prepared us for whatever lies ahead. The future may look certain to some of us, but I don’t believe that’s anything we need to worry about.
We must trust that this next season will be greater than we experienced. Some of us may be picked out, and baked into a beautiful pie, balancing our wonderful flavors with other ingredients to create a masterpiece.
Yes, it stings when we have to leave when the season is still sweet. But being upset that we have to leave is a natural process. It just means that this season was filled with goodness and nourishment, making it inevitably difficult for us to go.
I never liked the word goodbye. It’s definitive. Too disheartening. I try not to use it. I always like to think that there’s a chance I’ll bump into you again someday. So for now, thank you Temple City for all that you have given me. See ya around!
And to my Rampage family, I will miss you so much. This is Brianna signing out!