As a senior at Sahuaro High School, Tinamarie Castro is getting ready to say her goodbyes to high school and begin college, but before she goes, she’s got a few words for anyone in need of them.

In high school, it’s easy to surround yourself with all of the wrong people, propelling yourself into a difficult situation when your grades are no longer what you or your parents find acceptable. Tina says, “One of the most important things I’ve learned since starting high school is that your future really does matter and every second you’re wasting will end up costing you the more and more you let it go on. In all, do NOT slack.”

We’ve all learned our fair share of lessons and ended up learning a lot from our mistakes, for Tina it was finally realizing to put herself first in every way. “That was a really valuable lesson to me. It’s okay to relax and not have to please everybody. Giving up a substantial amount of your time to socializing will not matter when you finish with high school. Caring for your own mental and physical health is going to get you so far in so many ways. Have a good, supportive group of friends and remember to focus on your goals, never what anyone else is doing,” she explained.

Until about midway through high school, Tina saw her grades begin to fall. “With my grades, it was frankly because I didn’t apply myself and was more focused on figuring myself out and going through emotions that I so needed to unpack. Being into my own thoughts and often times looking for a distraction from them, I didn’t bother with my classes much, but a few teachers have helped me along the way to where I am now, getting ready to start a new chapter of my life. I’ve had some amazing teachers that I’m going to miss for sure.”

Junior year, after she had brought her grades up, Tina saw her grades take a fall once again. “I was doing good until I got sick almost every month and ended up in the ICU for a week with what doctors said was an upper respiratory infection.” But since, she has made a full recovery and amidst a pandemic, she is in the process of applying to colleges in Florida, New York, and in her home-state, ASU.

“I remember watching the news thinking about how ‘crazy’ everything was in the world but one thing I always wanted to know was the ‘why’ aspect of everything in these people,” Tina said as she explained her choice of major for Forensic Psychology. “I’ve always wanted to understand and fully comprehend what people’s minds went through and what drove them so far to do what they did,” she said.

As Tina gets ready to leave Sahuaro, the place that has served vivid memories and amazing lessons, we at The Paper Cut want to wish you a fulfilling and successful journey. With this article, we can hope that your joyful presence here at Sahuaro will remain with our newspaper. Congratulations on new beginnings! – The Paper Cut <3