I don’t even know where to start. This is kind of weird. It feels like just yesterday I was walking through the doors at MHS for my first time as a high schooler.  But instead, it’s four years from then, and here I am reflecting on those four years that I never knew would fly by so fast.

Let me start off by saying this: High school is everything that people make it out to be and more– from the football games to the dances and all the way to the memories. People aren’t kidding when they say high school is one of the top five greatest times of our lives.

It’s ultimately up to you on how you make those memories, though. Whether they come through sports, theater, band or just hanging out with friends on the weekend, they will happen. And lucky for you, MHS brings all of those aspects I just mentioned to the table.

But I’m sure you’ll learn all of this throughout the rest of your high school career.

These past three years I kept saying over and over how I wouldn’t miss this place. I thought that there were brighter horizons ahead of me. But now that I am a senior and a few weeks from graduation, I finally realize how much I am going to miss so much about this school– and it starts with the baseball program.

Ever since I started playing at age 4 I knew I wanted to be a varsity baseball player. From the baseball camps over the summer to watching the playoff runs and the big conference games, I knew that this would be where I wanted to be. Everything this program has taught has allowed me to compete at my highest level. The program’s values and mottos will stick with me for the rest of my life. Even though I am going to play at the college level, ‘The Corral’ is always going to be my home, and I would give anything up to be able to have more years in this program.

Specifically, I’d like to thank Coach Lerner. Thank you for believing in me since my sophomore year and always pushing me to become a better teammate, leader and player. All of my success within this program is in part to what you have done with me to help me grow in all those categories the three years I played for you. From the early morning practices to the endless North Gym practices and hitting sessions, thank you for all of it; I will remember it forever.

I should probably switch gears now, or I would go on forever about how much this baseball program has meant to me.

To the editors and future editors, thank you for everything you have done for me within this program and making it one of the most memorable parts of high school. Each year, I appreciated everything about the class and all the skills it taught me.

To Hannah, my best friend, thank you for the endless pep talks, side convos and food thrown at my head. I owe so much to everything you have done for me over the years and all the times you have been there for me. I can’t wait to hang this summer and add to an already long list of memories.

Madison, working beside you this year as co-editors-in-chief has been the best year of newspaper yet. We’ve bounced so many ideas off of each other and come up with so many great story ideas. It stinks that we were both in newspaper all four years, but only got to work together for two of those years.

Maggie, you always bring such positive energy to the class, and the rest of us always feed off of it. From your creative ideas to determination, I will remember all of it. And I know we weren’t the closest, but if you ever need anything, my door is always open.

MacKenzie and Kylie, I can’t wait to see where you guys take this program. You guys are two of the best writers I’ve seen, and I know both of you will continue to take this program to new heights.

Mrs. Didzbalis, thank you for everything you did for me my four years as a Mustang journalist. Every skill you taught me I have no doubt will carry over into my college studies and my professional career. Some I’d like to highlight is meeting deadlines, learning new content and enhancing what I already know and taking it to the next level. Without these skills, I’d be in a completely different place right now academically and journalistically.

Mr. Drier, thank you for all of your radiating positivity and fist bumps that you give out every day. You were right; little things like that can go a long way to make the biggest difference in someone’s day.

Dr. Greenwood, from minute one of second period chemistry my sophomore year, I could tell you were going to be one of my all-time favorite teachers. You were extremely helpful and remained patient even when we would get frustrated. Now, two years removed from that class, I treasure the conversations we have whenever we run into each other in the hallway. I hope I grow up to one day be as pure as you are.

To my parents, John and Debbie Yakimisky, thank you for supporting my baseball career these four years. From all the road trips to showcases to early morning wake up calls, I will never forget all of the support you guys provided me throughout my career. I hope it was worth it.

Thank you for pushing me in the classroom by always providing extra support and offering up any and all knowledge when I didn’t know how to get an assignment done. Lastly, thank you for being the greatest pair of parents I could ever want. We had our fights and falling outs, but family is family, and no one taught me the meaning of that phrase better than you two. In fact, the scariest part about leaving in August is not being able to come home to your home-cooked meals and dinner conversations that I will never ever forget. From the riddles to the laughs, I loved every second of it. I love you guys.

As for my stepmom, Ashley, thank you for welcoming my brothers and me with open arms the minute we met you. Thank you for all the little things you do that turn a bad day into a good day. I’m going to miss the lunches you make tailored to my days’ worth of activities. I’ve never been prouder to call someone my second mom.

To my little brothers, Jake and Cody, I’m going to miss you guys. I’m going to miss not being able to come home after school every day and go out in the backyard and play football or catch with you or spend hours in the pool room rotating from basketball to pool to ping pong and back again and even the exciting games in MLB or Madden. It’s going to stink not being able to watch your baseball careers through their entirety day in and day out. But there’s no doubt in my mind, you guys will continue and add to the Yakimisky baseball legacy. I can’t wait to see how far this game takes you both.

Lastly, The Boys: Snake, Jared, Mason, and Binzy– you guys have been the best group of friends that a guy could ask for.

Snake, I’m going to miss your EDM music and the late night drives that seemed to never end or the ‘open house HTL’ snaps. Please tell your mom I may need some wraps if things get rough down in Springfield.

Dor, I know we’re going to be only 40 minutes from each other, but going out there and competing every day with you during baseball season is a memory I’ll treasure forever. Please also know that everything I’ve ever said to you has been out of love even when it hasn’t seemed like it.

Mason, thank you for always being there for me when times got tough, and I had no one else to turn to, and thank you for always wanting to get us all together to hangout.

Binzy, my literal day one, thank you for never turning your back on me. You’ve always been there to pick me up and push me to new heights. I also want you to never change because you’re the most unique person I have ever met.

Thank you, all of you, for everything.

Finally, to the underclassmen, don’t take high school for granted. The friendships you make, the bonds you form and the memories that come as a result of that stuff will be there forever, so go out there, get involved and have fun with whatever it is that makes you you.

Thank you to all who read The Mustang this year, and best wishes to future graduates.

Thanks for everything, Mustang Nation!