The Voice

“In the blink of an eye.” That’s what Mrs. Barlow says to us at Freshman Orientation. At first, I did not believe her, and my time at Notre Dame did not seem to be flying by as she said it would.

One of my favorite Notre Dame memories was one I never expected - up until the time it happened... and until the day I could no longer back out.  But it was an experience I will never forget.

When deciding if Notre Dame was the school for me, one characteristic repeated itself over and over again from current families. Students and their parents alike always spoke of the family-like community of the school. 

When we were five years old, we were asked what we wanted to be when we grew up. My classmates answered things like firefighters, cops, and even teachers, but when it was my turn to answer, I said "princess."

Notre Dame High School. Back parking lot. Spot 129. The place I pull my white Mazda into every morning. 

One of the most memorable experiences I had during my time at Notre Dame was the Performing Arts trip to Disney World in Florida.

I think everyone can say that coming out of high school, they are a completely different person than who they were going in. It’s easy to blame it on natural maturity, but I firmly believe that a large chunk of my personal growth happened because I chose Notre Dame specifically.

The ball bounced against the court, before arriving in a player's hand. The crowd passionately roared to the opposing team's chants for “Defense!” Passing it to his teammate, the star player threw the ball through the air and watched as it flew in the basket, a perfect three-pointer.

As I only have a few more days of high school I continually ask myself, “Where did all the time go?” Because honestly, where did it?

Coming from a large public school, Hannah Smith was most excited to be a part of the small, close-knit community that Notre Dame High School offered. She came in as a freshman, and immediately made herself an active member of the student body.

“Attention students: Due to recent events, we will be having Friday off and will be switching to remote learning on Monday to clean and sanitize the school.” That one sentence changed the course of my final high school year.

Senior Prom…the night everyone looks forward to, the night prepared for months in advance, and the (last) night we spend with our classmates. One of the biggest moments in a person’s life is their senior prom.