25

Hi everyone!

Happy beginning to the week! Just like any other year, we have finally reached the point where everything is getting kind of crazy. This last weekend, the senior class went on the senior retreat, Metanoia, which was by far my favorite retreat I have done at St. Mary's over my four years. Without indulging any information (because the secrecy around it is the best part), I can for sure tell you that it was an amazing experience after which I felt way closer to the girls around me.

Other than the retreat happening, two big things are wrapping up for me in school. As a part of my AP Lit class, we have to do a World Literature project where we read a book from somewhere in the world, during a time period, etc. I chose a pretty niche subject of Irish crime fiction, reading Declan Hughes' The Wrong Kind of Blood. It was a really good book, and researching the tragic history that led to Ireland's high poverty rate was a sad but interesting experience. Moving forward, I am supposed to give a presentation to my class to finish off the course, and I am really excited to share the message Hughes was trying to portray with the rest of my class. On the other spectrum of subjects, my SRM project is beginning to wrap up with my last log sheet for hours due next week. On May 24, there will be a night where everyone in SRM presents their posters and Powerpoints regarding the research that they participated in - and once again I am very excited to share my experiences in the lab and working with OHSU with everyone I know.

Overall, though, I really only have a few big traditional milestones left. I turned eighteen a couple weeks ago, Prom is soon, and then Graduation! Someone counted and we only have 25 actual school days left before we graduate, which seems ridiculous. The fact that my four years here at SMA have passed by so quickly freaks me out every time I think about it - I am definitely cherishing the time that I have left with those around me. :)

See you next time,
Bryn '17

College!

Hi everyone!

I hope that you have all been having a wonderful week and weekend - mine has definitely been pretty eventful. Coming back from Spring Break is always kind of hard, because you have to shake off the feeling of having no homework and get back into the groove of schoolwork. This past week was mostly building up in anticipation for Friday, when I was able to attend a function at Oregon State, where I will be attending college next year!

Friday morning I drove to the Corvallis campus and went to some lectures, visited the campus stores, toured the Honors College dorms, and ate lunch at the Honors College luncheon where I was able to be introduced to some current students as well as high schoolers who are going to be going there next year. Up until this point, even after I had committed, my future going to college had always seemed like a far away thing. But talking about signing up for an orientation day and knowing that I am moving in on September 17 this coming fall made me realize how real everything is! As I move toward this impending future, St. Mary's is always there supporting me and helping me be the best student I can be. Just the other day, my college counselor Carolyn Gazeley personally emailed me congratulating me on my decision, something that I definitely appreciated amid the chaos of being a fourth quarter senior.

I guess all that I can say is that college is simultaneously so exciting but also unbelievably nervewracking - and SMA has been with me every step of the way.

See you next time,
Bryn '17