Princess Leia Is Captured by Rebel Forces, Led by Darth Vader. She Sends an SOS Message to a Droid Named R2D2

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away:

Princess Leia is captured by rebel forces, led by Darth Vader. She sends an SOS message to a droid named R2D2. Luke Skywalker finds the droid, and the saga begins. Our journey at FHS can be put into terms of Star Wars: Episode IV, a New Hope.

And the driving force behind us is efficacy: the belief that we can make it through the hard stuff--the storm troopers, junk monsters, and end of course exams. Somewhere along our path this force was nudging us on, encouraging us to keep going, whether in the form of a friend, family member, or teacher.

We will remember our school not only for its bathroom stalls without locks and strangely endearing murals, but also for its amazing resources from TV to Agri, and the relationships we built within its walls. As the new half of our school is being constructed, I can't help but think about how much character lies within this building. It is our Milennium Falcon.

Another huge force behind why we're here are the teachers: the jedi masters who guide us to the ways of the world, led by the honorable Obi Wan Jacobi. The administrators and staff are like the droids, sending vital messages and coordinating rescue missions. A variety of students parade these halls, from wookies to jawas, to bandies.

Our high school experiences can't all be sugarcoated, either. We've been through ice storms and snow storms. We all felt a blow when Forrest and Beau passed away. But these experiences became a common thread between us, and made us stronger. They built our self efficacies--why we should keep going.

When Luke, Leia, and Harrison Ford are stuck in a giant trash compactor about to be mashed into a concentrated pulp, the words of the poet Robert Frost come to mind: The road may be long, and the hill may be steep But we've got miles to go before we sleep, and miles to go before we sleep.

We've got miles to go, yes, but we've already accomplished so much. It may not always be smooth flying in this galaxy, but no matter where we go, the forces of efficacy are always with us.