One Final Word

 

To my dear friends,

Be Brave. Take Risks. Nothing can substitute experience.

Paulo Coelho 

I don’t know how to articulate this or properly express how grateful I am for being able to work with such a beautiful and brilliant class. Initially, when Ms. Hunnisett assigned this blog, I began formulating all the potential last words I could share with my peers, but in the end, I realized that what I had left to say was a thank you to everyone for their encouragement and love. Honestly, we have all become like family members; poking fun at each other, learning together, and growing into amazing individuals. So, for my last piece I’ve decided to let my heart take control and write whatever it tells me too…

When Ms. Hunnisett invited me into AP last year, I was shocked and then fearful of what the outcome could be. Quite frankly, I envied the students of AP English. Their intellectual level seemed well beyond the capacity of my tiny brain and I could not help but worship their writing. Reluctantly, I accepted the offer and spent the entire summer stressing about my grade 12 English mark! I walked into class with unfinished data booklet sheets and feared that this may be the worst decision I have made in my entire life span of 17 years. But boy was I proven wrong.

All of you are the reason why AP turned out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made.

…complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves …

Philippians 2: 1-3

So thank you for warmly welcoming me into your special circle. Thank you for taking my hand and carefully leading me through this amazing journey of learning and growing. Thank you for listening to my thoughts and helping me build confidence in myself and in my work. Thank you for the unbreakable support that reassured and comforted me at all times. Thank you for helping me improve as a writer and as an individual. Thank you for enlightening me with unthinkable discoveries and knowledge beyond normality.

I have always been someone who works with motivation to attain my goals. However, when certain parts of this semester had become stressful and tiring, I began losing the motivation which I thrived on. Managing four cores and extracurricular activities became burdensome and I was failing to find time to take care of myself. I would not have been able to put in my best effort if it weren’t for the constant support which you guys never failed to offer. It was during these times that I realized that our class isn’t just a normal English class, it is a place where I established amazing friendships with people who helped me overcome challenges and guided me towards the goal that I have been working for.

I would like to express my special gratitude to my family members who have immensely supported and cared for me. Jieo, Natalie, and Kelley: thank you so much for helping me discover my voice in AP LA. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and pushing me to do my very best. Though we may disperse into our own paths, our memorable moments and little inside jokes will be cherished forever.

And most importantly to Ms. Hunnisett…

Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

Philippians 5:5

I cannot thank you enough for giving me an opportunity to be part of such an amazing group. Thank you for believing in me and supporting me through every ups and downs of this semester. I am in awe and humbled by your dedication to guide us and aid us through calm waters and rocky paths. Thank you for imparting your knowledge and investing so much of your time and energy into our success. We love you Ms. Hunnisett!!!!

We have come a long way and the possibilities of the future are as numerous as we make it to be. Here we end and here we beginning, embrace every opportunity, put on the armour of courage, and explore your dreams. Above everything, never fail to believe in yourself.

 

With lots of love,

Hefseeba Biju

 

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2 thoughts on “One Final Word

  1. Dearest Hefseeba,

    Thank you so much for writing this piece; I love how you allowed your heart to flow into your writing and smoothly incorporate memories and quotes. You have left and shared with us the same feelings of fear, awe, and eternal gratitude everyone experiences in AP. For that, I thank you.

    Besides your beautiful writing, I have always been amazed of your work; the sense of revere you give when you talk about your faith, the flow that you have when you speak in presentations, and just in general, I really care and appreciate your whole being! I also cannot thank you enough for the fun memories we made and I really loved our family group this year! I am so happy you came to AP this year despite the risk. From the poetry seminar, to the character perspective, to the late conversations of teasing each other when we were supposed to sleep, I am blessed to know you! You are a kind, wonderful, and beautiful human being inside and out. And though we may part paths, I look forward to your growth, and I am happy that I was able to become one of your friends! 🙂

    Much love,

    Your family group member, Kelley

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