Ethan Rezer

It’s crazy to think how long I’ve been at CCDS. 13 out of my 17 years of life were spent here, and in only a month, I will not be enrolled at CCDS for the first time since 2009. Some of the events of 2009 include President Obama’s inauguration, Michael Jackson’s tragic passing, and the release of the wildly successful video game Minecraft. I guess it’s safe to say that I’m ready for the retirement home already.

Through these 13 years, I’ve gotten to know so many great people – teachers, classmates, and other faculty members. One of my favorite things about Country Day is that I am still in classes with some of my kindergarten classmates from that first year in 2009. That is a familiarity I will truly miss next year when we all head off to college. I’ll miss seeing my first grade teacher walking down the hall with her class (let’s go, Rue Crew!), catching up with Mrs. Rust to reminisce about our 8^th grade performance of Guys and Dolls, and waving to the same lunch staff members I first met in kindergarten. I don’t know that I have any wise words to say, but I’m a senior writing his last article before graduating, so here goes nothing. I’d say the best advice I could give is to cherish the time you have at CCDS. I know it’s school, and school can be hard, but it really is a unique experience.

This is the kind of school where you can see your old first grade teacher, talk to your middle school theater director, or get to build a relationship with the people who have been making you delicious meals for 13 years of your life (almost as long as my own mother!). But more than that, it’s the kind of school where you can build new relationships with teachers who care about you and want to see you succeed, who ask about your college search and what your plans are for the future. It’s the kind of school where you can build a community in an extracurricular like theater and find your second home there. It’s the kind of school where you can sit around a table with your friends while enjoying Sage’s fantastic General Tso’s chicken. CCDS is a special school, and I’m sad to see my time here ending so soon, but I know that the things I loved about CCDS have shaped my future, both in education and in life after college. I am truly grateful for the time I spent here. See you all soon!

– Ethan