Looking Back On Our Senior Year

This post was written by FLVS Full Time Senior Class President, Mari Nicole Rosales. 

Senior Class President Mari Rosales with Marketing Leader Bryanna Maturen

Last Tuesday, May 30, 2017, marked the end of our high school chapter in the book that we call life.

Long gone are the days of DBAs and Blackboard live lessons. Now the time has come for us to begin our next chapter. As virtual school students, we have had quite the journey throughout high school. We are innovators and changemakers of tomorrow. Because of this, the future is limitless. It is now our turn to empower the world one step at a time with our words and actions.

As many of you know, the Florida Virtual School mascot is our lovely friend, Megabyte, the friendly robotic shark. He graces our school t-shirts and reminds us to keep on pace with our courses. Technically speaking, one megabyte is one million bytes of information. Each Florida Virtual School student is a megabyte. Gaining one million bytes of information is no easy task. As megabytes, we have learned how to be proactive, creative, and resourceful. These one million bytes we have gained from virtual school will last a lifetime.

Each and every single one of us have our own unique Florida Virtual School story, but each one shares a similar hinge. We all know what it means to power up our minds and hit that Turbo button. As we begin to write the next chapter of our lives, these lessons we have learned over the past years will help us in achieving any goal we set our minds to. The journey has just begun, and I have no doubt in my mind that the Class of 2017 will change the world.

Serving as the Senior Class President for the Class of 2017 has been an absolute honor. I have had the pleasure of getting to know so many, and I hope that I have been able to bring positive messages to our class during this past school year. While I am just placing my foot on to the next stepping stone like all of my fellow classmates, I’d like to offer some heartfelt advice.

To the Class of 2017, this is our moment – a moment we have been waiting so long for.

Many of us have dreamed for this day to come. We even made a countdown to graduation during the senior class live lessons. Well, it is my pleasure to finally announce that the countdown is now at zero. We are all here – caps and gowns – diplomas ready to be handed out. This is our dream that is finally turning into our reality.

Now, I am not going to lie or act like I know everything about life. Just like many of you, I fear the unknown of what is to come in the future. Although, I know that no matter what life throws at me, I will be prepared. That is what needs to be heard and needs to be realized. I am certain that every single student in the Class of 2017 is completely capable of taking whatever comes their way. As we all venture into the next chapter of our lives, remember to have faith and courage. Always stay true to who you are because that is how someone becomes successful. We live in a world and society that has so many set ideals and stigmas for how one should be, but the best success stories come from those who pursue what they want and go against the tide.

This journey is not easy. It is not all smooth sailing. There is a reason why determination is so incredibly important. And that is my second piece of advice. Do not ever lose the will to succeed. Stay determined, even if life tells you no. Again, this is no easy task, but being able to stay determined will open so many doors in the future.

Lastly, stay humble. It is okay if you do not know everything. It is okay to ask questions. Remember to treat others the way you would like to be treated. Being kind and humble is much more important than being right.

I am on this journey with all of you. Again, I do not know everything about life. It is my hope that you take this advice to heart to further your knowledge for the future. Now, remember what I said about a megabyte? Being a megabyte is incredibly special. Gaining one million bytes of information is the ultimate accomplishment. As we walk through those doors, we start our next chapter. Whether you are off to a university or straight into the workforce, you will continue to gain more and more knowledge, adding to your bytes of information.

Thank you once again to everyone, fellow megabytes, teachers, and Florida Virtual School Full Time, for allowing me, Mari Nicole Rosales, to serve as the Senior Class President. With my whole heart, congratulations to the entire Class of 2017. You are a changemaker of tomorrow. Stay true to yourself. Stay determined. Stay humble.