From the minute one steps foot into the schoolyard in the beginning of freshman year to the day those same feet cross the stage during graduation, high school leaves a mark on each and every one of us. 

Though I myself walked the halls as a bewildered freshman only one year ago, already the journey has impacted me. Whether for better or for worse, this roller coaster known as high school has the power to change us. 

Each day we must choose not to let the stressful moments, overwhelming schedules and overbearingly monotonous routine get the best of us; we must not let ourselves become lost in repetition. Each day is a new opportunity, cliche though it may be, to go the extra mile — or even the extra inch — and step toward a future only we can build. 

With every new 8 a.m. bell, our eyes must open a little bit wider, our arms must reach out a little bit further, and our minds must grow a little bit stronger. 

Evidently, high school takes and gives. Times of confidence and times of worry will ebb and flow as surely and as swiftly as the tide does, but with each new period of hardship comes a period of growth. Persistence pays off in the long run and so does positivity, but above all, to succeed, we need devotion to becoming the best we can be. 

The time has arrived to discard outdated mindsets of fear and hesitation and exchange them with ones of action and ambition. So many have done so in the past whose stories are documented on the Satellite, and I believe we will soon discover more. 

Keep your eyes and mind open and your feet moving forward, NHS. This journey is ours for the conquering.