With this being my final article as a student of Xavier High School, I would like to congratulate and wish the best of luck to the class of 2017. More specifically, to the classmates that I will never see again.

There is a good chance I will never see some of you again, which if I think about deeply enough, seems bizarre. We have spent countless hours together at school, playing sports, and participating in service events. We have spent mornings going in early to study for pre-calc tests and had late nights writing papers for Ms. Hayes together at the public library. The fact that I may never see many of you again is truly starting to set in. I will miss seeing my Kairos kids every day and talking to the friends I rode the bench with on the football team this year.

I’m sure most of us will return for high school reunions and see each other’s college years, careers, and future families on Facebook or Instagram, but that’s about it. I’m not saying this is a bad thing; I think it’s our time to let go, mature, and become the young adults we claim to be. However, I am nostalgic about leaving the comforts of the Xavier hallways. I’ve always enjoyed walking into school seeing Mr. Keating standing by the commons drinking his morning coffee and welcoming students every day. I will most definitely miss Coach Schulte’s wise adages and the daily calisthenics in Mrs. Lemker’s class.

I do hope I am able to keep in touch with many of my classmates and underclassmen who have affected my life in high school, but I also know this isn’t realistic.

So, to the classmates and teachers I’ll never see again:

I feel confident you will do amazing things like become the nurses, lawyers, engineers, and philanthropists this world needs. As Mr. Keating always says, “You either get better or worse, you never stay the same.” Keep striving to be the best person you can be, and don’t let yourself believe that you peaked in high school. I may never get the chance to say anything else to you again, but know all of you had an impact on my life, and for that, I’ll be forever thankful.

Nick Koechner

Assistant Copy Editor