By Cheryl Yee, staff writer
Dear Galileo
It still doesn’t register that I’ll be leaving you soon. I still remember when I got my lock on the first day of school and me being scared with little friends. I have to admit, it took me a while to enjoy being in your presence. Freshman year was full of naivete and being laid back. I remember being in College and Career with Searg, who always told us life stories and had ridiculous amounts of cookie dough.
Also, thanks for the clean fourth floor bathroom. And all the flights of of stairs that I could use as exercise when I got to school early. And Mr. Phelp’s cozy library. And the Wellness Center’s starvation-saving bear graham crackers and string cheese.
You weren’t my first choice. You were actually my third. But I turned out loving the teachers and the friends I have made. Sophomore year is probably my favorite year because I met two of my favorite teachers that year. On the first day of Ms. Gates’ First Period English 2 class, I read about code switching and watched a Key and Peele video about it. That’s when I knew Gates was going to be amazing. And although the next teacher is no longer at Galileo, my friends and I really enjoyed his class. I must say, Mr. Grimm was hip with the kids. Having video Fridays where we could watch a music video of our choosing. Making kids who swore eat a Bean Boozled jellybean. Eating hot cheetos while he graded our work. Making us do the Do-Now during a fire drill (that was hilarious).
Then in Junior year, I started thinking about college and my future. It was scary, but I still had fun. Being one of the few juniors that took PE, I made friends outside my grade. Gosh do I miss playing ultimate football, soccer, and badminton. Then I vividly remember going to AP Lang class all sweaty from exercise. I’ll also miss chatting with Ms. Gates and Ms. Moffett during lunch. (Pro tip: talk to your teachers during lunch and get to know them. They have favorite shows too!)
And now there’s two weeks left in my high school career. It’s funny how I thought things wouldn’t end up the way they did last March. I was hoping to go back to school for my senior year, but I think that I grew as a person because of the pandemic. As I realized that school wouldn’t return and that I couldn’t control that, I began to remember that things in my control: my mental health and relationships. I learned a lot of things outside of school, through reading the news and watching videos. I actually became closer to some people.
Although senior year was academically uneventful, I have gotten to do so many things without you. Like watching my show on TV as I eat lunch. Or using the restroom in peace. No line. No self-consciousness. I’ll see you again when I return my books. But thank you for a great 3 years.
Best,
Cheryl Yee c/o 2021
