A few weeks ago, my sister Lily and I hiked down from the Marin Headlands to Rodeo Beach. And, on that foggy morning, we grabbed hands and dunked into the Pacific Ocean, totally submerged. It was freezing, and a shock to the system.

The trip was held for a few high school seniors at my synagogue, where we spent the weekend camping in Kirby Cove and then doing a mikvah, a sort of renewal, in the ocean. The purpose of the trip was to reflect on what we want to hold on to as we prepare to go off to college, and what we want to let go of.

What did I want to hold on to? Friends, of course, and the interests I discovered and expanded upon during high school, which include journalism, biology, music, and exploring the best food in the Bay Area. I’m a proud member of Bark and Honors Biomed, and have loved being in classes such as jazz band and Physio. I’ve done musical theater, studied filmmaking, and taught at Hebrew school. No sports, though. That would’ve been excessive.

But there’s plenty to move on from. At the end of freshman year, my dad got really sick. Like, scary sick. For over a year we didn’t even know what he had, and it turned out to be an extraordinarily rare and esoteric autoimmune disease. He was basically dying and nobody knew why or what to do about it. He’s  luckily currently recovered, but for three years life was chaotic and intense and very, very lonely. I lost friends who were uncomfortable having to deal with someone so vulnerable.

But now, every day, I make a conscious effort to separate my past from the present. I instead do my best to celebrate the little things I encounter on a daily basis, and enjoy the big-picture of the future I hold as well as the futures of my peers. This class of 2014 is so impressive. We are going all over the world to study everything from art to engineering, and others are joining the workforce or the army. We’re a class of writers, scientists, filmmakers, artists, musicians, programmers, and athletes.

There have also been some inspired and passionate teachers I want to acknowledge, including Mrs. Sugi-Louie, Mr. Ryan, Mrs. Kittredge, Mr. Hettleman, Mr. Samet, Mr. Lovelady, and Mr. Simon. A+ work, you guys.

I’m going to take a lot of memories (and classmates, and friends, and a twin sister) with me to UC Berkeley next year. And I couldn’t be happier. See you on the other side of the Bay.

-Sarah Goldwasser