Oh Class of 2023, how I am going to miss you all so dearly. I’m currently sitting in my 7th-period study hall with music blasting in my ears, watching people play Super Smash Bros in their free period, and wondering how all of us are going to transition to being, once again, the freshman.

There is nothing to compare BREWSTER’S class of 2023 to. Only words can start to do us justice, and even then I am at a loss, for I remain impressed and joyed by what we have done and still continue to accomplish. Our artists, debaters, athletes, writers, and actors, grew to extraordinary. Watching all of you mature into the people you are in these moments has been emotional. Though I may not know a good amount of all of you, I see personalities finally blossoming after finding their people, confidence making people turn into their truest selves, and success starting earlier than the halfway point of the year. I just want to rave about how proud I am of everyone, but I honestly CAN’T because I’ll start crying and rambling and no one wants that.

One thing that has truly brought me to tears is witnessing the energy at football games! Though we are a class of unique and varied personalities, seeing everyone come together at football games will likely be the thing I miss the most. No matter who you were as a person, we all came together and became one thing-—Bears. As cringe as that may sound, it is true, I also have NO WORDS FOR US, SO THAT’S THE BEST I GOT! We have the most team/school spirit I’ve ever seen. And that spirit brings about friendships, rekindled connections, and the drive for our athletes to be the best they can be. The way we celebrated our peer’s accomplishments like going to states for sports and committing to colleges shows true camaraderie and support.

My memories of this class will never go away. The microwave going off both in high school and middle school, assassins being canceled within 24 hours, being the last class for the D.C. trip, the SplashDown trip, and Mr. Brewster— it was all priceless looking back! Yet we got to enjoy the personalities of classmates with friends throughout it all!

While we remain the most memorable class here at Brewster because of our hilarious events, contrasting personalities, and unmentionable things, we are still incredibly intelligent and resourceful. THAT is what makes us so great: our balance. We have accomplished a great deal of success with all of our fundraisers, some of which are for Cystic Fibrosis, St. Jude’s Hospital, cancer, military personnel, and more! I could not count all the amazing things we as a class have accomplished despite all the difficulties we have endured these past couple of years.

We have been through a lot together. Even disregarding the fact that we went through a worldwide pandemic, we are an indescribable group of relatively new adults now adjusting to life with shared lows, highs, and new experiences. Covid allowed us to see who we were. Because we were still able to experience the most valuable years of high school, our growth will likely excel those of other classes, making us unique in character and personal abilities. For all of these reasons, I firmly believe the class of 2023 will remain the most remarkable and groundbreaking class to exist. Something in my heart is telling me that we are going to make a real difference in this world. We may have lost a lot, but we gained more—real life experiences, the full prom experience, and the ability to switch between remote and in-person learning.

I can’t say it enough, I have absolute faith that all of us are going to do spectacularly well in life. I wish all of you nothing but the best, and I am so proud to see everything everyone has accomplished. Congrats on making it through to the next chapter!!

                -Anaya