Commentary: End of year wrap-up

I have spent 10 years being a part of Fresno Christian Schools. For 10 years, it has shaped a majority of my educational career. It seemed, as a young 8 year old, that graduating high school was a lifetime away. I remember looking at the high school seniors in awe, thinking they were these huge, intimidating creatures.

Now as it’s my turn to walk as an alumna, I like to reminisce on all the good memories I’ve had at this school. All of the homecoming floats, NOTS movies, choir trips, and sports games make up the fraction of those. One of the shining factors of Fresno Christian is the opportunity to participate in virtually everything and I’ve really enjoyed participating in so many activities.

The opportunity to create lifelong bonds with the staff members at FC is another shining factor. To them, it’s not just a job, it’s their passion. They love forming relationships with their students and we aren’t just a paycheck. Some of the teachers/staff members who have dedicated their time to me include Michael Ogdon, Susan Ainley, Greg Stobbe, John Penberthy, Hallie Rojeski, Terry Richards, Martha Lange, Val Rivera, along with many others.

I know a lot of people aren’t particularly fond of Fresno Christian, and that’s fine; everyone has their own opinions. But I also would like to know where there is another school in the Central Valley, let alone the state of California that sent their women’s ensemble to sing at Carnegie Hall, their football team win the Valley Championship and their basketball team first-runner up, their school newspaper named one of the best in the nation all in one year, and among many other events, while doing it all for the glory of God. All of those events named I have been apart of and I couldn’t have asked for a better senior year due to all the fun I’ve encountered.

The chance to finally join journalism came to me my senior year. I kind of considered myself a “Feather Fanatic” while in junior high. I loved to write, and I loved reading high school students’ articles. However, when I got to high school, my schedules became jam-packed and I was unable to join. So when my schedule finally cleared this year, I decided to jump on the journalism bandwagon.

Joining journalism was probably the best decision I made this year. It is amazing how much my writing skills have improved in just a short nine months. Not only my writing skills, but my people skills as well and my work ethic have changed for the better as well.

I rekindled relationships with fellow staff members, especially during our Pacemaker trip to L.A. and I was able to be a part of an award-winning team. I would like to thank adviser, Greg Stobbe for always pushing me to my greatest potential, and for the Editors-in-Chief working their tails off to produce such a high-quality online paper. I fully trust that I will use these skills I’ve learned just in journalism for the rest of my life.

Macy Mascarenas plans to attend California Baptist University in Riverside, CA in the fall. She will be majoring in Journalism & New Media.

Thank you Fresno Christian for getting me where I am now. I am ready to pursue Jesus and walk with confidence in wherever my path leads. This isn’t goodbye, this is see you later.

For another senior reflection, read: Senior Reflection: Olivia Quebe.