Ive thought about writing this article for four years. One might assume I had an outline carefully prepared and ready to go, but such is not the case.

In my musings, I pictured my senior farewell article to be the capstone of four years of Unleashed, high school and extracurriculars, and my childhood in the Yakima Valley. But, I was wrong.

I had planned (loudly at times) to leave the state of Washington. College was going to be my ticket out of this mountain-dotted landscape we call home. I spent years envisioning what college would be like someplace far from here. I was enamored by the unknown. I couldnt have dreamed that 2020 would be so full of the unknown, even the unimaginable, no matter your physical location.

March brought a cacophony of unexpected events. My senior year went online, and I decided I would call the University of Washington my home for the next four years. Yes, you read that right: I will be attending college in-state, defying all of my expectations. As I delve into the inner workings of the brain as a neuroscience major, I hope to also deepen my understanding of the many reasons that make Washington a wonderful state to live. So, this farewell isnt a farewell at all; instead, its a documented account of why Im excited to live in the Pacific Northwest for four more years.

To start, I need to express my gratitude for my fellow Unleashed writers and this program as a whole. This group of brilliant reporters (including the alumni) are the most sincere and spirited lovers of the Yakima area I have ever met. My peers articles on community events and their experiences living in this Valley are endearing.

Next, thank you to my teachers who expressed, with great ardor, their love of the Yakima Valley. I am proud to be a Selah Viking.

Lastly, here is a list of the things I am grateful to have experienced in my first 18 years in the state of Washington:

Quarantine has taught me to embrace life with an open mind and heart. I am excited to spend time exploring this beautiful state Ive grown up in.

So, I have to be a fatalist: Attending the University of Washington wasnt what I imagined, but it is exactly where I need to be (except when Im back home visiting Yakima, of course).

Anna Ergeson is a 2020 graduate of Selah High School and a four-year member of the Yakima Herald-Republics Unleashed program. She plans to enroll this fall at the University of Washington as a presidential scholar majoring in neuroscience.

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Senior Farewell: With appreciation for my first 18 years in Washington ... and the four more years to come - Yakima Herald-Republic