This is my 7th and last year at Preuss. Although I am saddened at the fact that I am leaving this community, and nervous about what awaits me in the future, I am also excited to see how much I can achieve.

I feel a sense of pride in what I have accomplished at this school. I have made wonderful friendships that I hope will last a lifetime, and have created my own community and safe space. My favorite part about this school is how interwoven its students and teachers are. I felt completely comfortable talking to a teacher about my problems, and was never dissatisfied at the help they provided.

Another thing I found special about my experience at Preuss is that I never felt left out. There was always the possibility of giving up and changing course. I could have given into my fears of failure, and allowed myself to become intimidated by fear. Instead, I learned to keep moving forward. Mr. Romer always had a poster on his wall that stated “Strive for Perfection, Settle for Excellence,” which always kept me motivated to keep going.

However, I do feel that my experience at Preuss was cut short. COVID did nothing more than pile even more stress onto what was already reaching a boiling point. I tried my best to keep moving forward, and although I found myself succeeding, it left me with no sense of pride or accomplishment in my work. I felt that my life had become monotonous, nothing more than a routine.

Although I am a valedictorian, COVID left me feeling that I had done nothing more than just follow orders. I tried my best to find enjoyment in what I was doing, but felt that my life had become drab. Instead of moping around, I decided to get my mind off of stress. Preuss led me to discover my passion, engineering.

Mr. Rupert was a great help. I had been part of the Robotics Club since I was a freshman, and found great value in the work I was doing. This passion led me to find my dream career choice, an Aerospace Engineer with a focus on Astronautical Engineering.

Overall, Preuss was a great experience. Preuss was always there when I needed help, and always did more than the minimum to help me achieve my goals.