I Was

My time at Millbrook High School has been a journey, full of incredible people and incredible experiences. Over the past four years (particularly the past two, shout-out to IB), I have become a more educated and well-rounded individual, but more importantly, I have developed deep relationships with amazing people.

I was unsure of myself, and of who I eventually wanted to be, when I began my life at Millbrook. I didn't know many of my classmates, the classes were new and challenging, and I didn't really know where I was going (both literally and figuratively).

Sure, I made some great friends and memories along the way, but high school really took a turn for the better once junior year started. Driving to school and off-campus lunches were great, but what really made the difference was the community of students and teachers that I had the privilege to meet. I went from knowing a couple of people in each of my classes to becoming a member of a family of over a hundred new people, with whom I shared similar interests, ideals, and beliefs. It was this family that really made high school something meaningful to me. It was this family that supported me, encouraged me, and really helped to show me what it means to be a conscientious and open-minded individual.

It was this family that helped to make me who I am today, and for this, I am immeasurably grateful.

This blog is, in essence, a thank you. To my friends, I can't tell you enough how much you mean to me. As our time at Millbrook comes to an end, I can't wait to see the great things that you'll all accomplish in the next part of your lives. To my teachers, thank you so much for taking the time to really get to know and understand us as individuals. That is what really makes school, and the IB program, meaningful.




































































































































































































































Also, shout-out to Stud Club, you know who you are. You're the realest of the real. La creme de la creme. The best of the best. Don't know what I'd do without you.

The Notebook

...as in Walt Whitman's notebook. Not the romantic novel by Nicholas Sparks (which was adapted to film in 2004, starring Ryan Gosling and other less famous people).

Any-who...

As I scrolled through Whitman's notebook, the first thing that I realized was his style of writing. It is primarily written in cursive, a writing style that I personally associate with a person who is trying to get his/her thoughts down as fast as possible. To me, Whitman comes off as someone who has a lot to say and wants to lock down his thoughts on paper before they disappear. The fact that there are many crossed out statements and words supports the idea that Whitman didn't spend much time on the phrasing of his ideas. I noticed copious instances of exclamation and question marks following statements, indicating that Whitman tried to incorporate some emotion into his drafts. I also notice that Whitman had an affinity for caricatures and portraits (of himself) and other small sketches. Perhaps these allowed Whitman to express himself when he could not find the words to do so.

As I originally viewed Whitman's musings, I did not realize how they connected to his imaginary dialogue with Abraham Lincoln. There were areas where Whitman was attempting to decide on a title for his work. One potential title was "Lessons for a President Elect". I thought this was particularly interesting. I would have thought Whitman would call his work "Lessons from a President Elect", but Whitman's use of the word for implies that Whitman himself is trying to teach Lincoln something. I would have assumed that it would be the other way around. This hints to me that Whitman believes himself to be very intelligent, and that a man such as Lincoln would be able to learn a thing or two from him.