For the graduating class of 2026 at Thomas Worthington High School, this moment feels both impossible and inevitable. For years, graduation was something distant, a milestone we talked about but never truly imagined arriving. What once felt endless is suddenly becoming a memory. Somehow, after countless mornings in the same hallways, Friday night lights, stressful exams, unforgettable friendships, and moments that shaped who we are, we are finally here.
High school was never just about classes or grades. It was about the people who made these years meaningful, the friends who became family, the teachers who believed in us, and the memories created in moments that once felt ordinary. Somewhere between freshman year and senior year, we grew up.
This senior send-off is more than a goodbye to a school. It is a reflection on the experiences, challenges, and memories that defined the class of 2026, and a celebration of the people we became along the way. We asked a couple seniors to share their TDUB story with us and words they want left behind.
Olivia Stewart:
“Time will tell”
Throughout the 4 years of high school you experience an endless amount of emotion. Some days you’re tired, until it’s your senior year and early mornings become less of a hassle since they will soon be some of your last. You laugh and you cry, sometimes at the same time. You appreciate and you regret, you argue and you accept, you win and lose, the list goes on and on.
During my sophomore year I fell under the impression I would never get out of the moment that I was stuck in. Obviously now it’s easy to think time passed but then it felt like it never would. It was my first season on varsity and I wasn’t where I wanted to be. I felt out of place and on games that I performed well, I couldn’t even appreciate them because I knew that at some point I would be back in another slump, trying to find the player that I once was. Now that I’m aware of it, I wish I understood that I had potential to be who I wanted to be because at some point I was that person. My junior year was much different, I gained confidence and started to perform well and more consistently, but I wasn’t sure how to handle the change. My senior season was the best season I personally have ever had and I think that it is safe to say it was an even better overall season for the team. The praise I give myself for this year wasnt because I had high scoring games, or because of the games we won, but it’s because when I look back at all of this —I am able to say that I didn’t become the player I was trying to force myself to be, but rather developed into the player that I always was and always will be.
As a senior, when you know that what you’re doing is one of the last times that you’ll do it, all the overthinking and stress slowly slips away, and you’re finally able to appreciate and enjoy everything while it’s still in the moment. Through basketball, or any sport, high school and life in general it is easy to be hard on yourself, and it’s even easier when you lose something you once had. I learned to move on from old ways that I no longer can control and change them into something that I can, with that —don’t ever give up on something because it’s too hard, change your approach and keep trying because in every situation, time will always pass.
For so long it felt like this would be forever, now that it is coming to an end —my biggest take away is that time will give you everything you need. In high school you learn so many things about yourself that you think this is who you will always be, but you’re wrong. These last 4 years have been day to day routines that we will very soon no longer follow, so to think it’s over is hard to understand, but what you’ve accomplished and experienced during this short period of time, is only what is still yet to come. Through these years, I have learned that life will have its ups and downs, you will meet new people and lose some, and there will always be another outcome that may not be as impactful or positive as the other, so ride the wave, always be appreciative and grateful, never give up in a difficult situation, and if you’re ever unsure, trust yourself and understand that only time will tell, so allow it to pass.
“Love conquers all, even time and space”
– Liv Stewart.
William Gams:
“Nothing Really Is That Deep”
In High school you may think that the world is ending sometimes because of the drama or problems you are in right now. But all in all it isn’t that serious, you start to realize that the problems you were in a week ago don’t matter anymore. And that no one really cares about whatever you got caught up in a week ago.
When people tell you high school is the best four years of your life, it feels impossible to believe while you’re living through it. At the time, everything feels huge. Every awkward moment, every failed test, every friendship drama, every rumor in the hallway feels like the end of the world. But standing here now, about to leave it all behind, I’ve realized something simple that I wish I understood sooner, nothing really is that deep.
That doesn’t mean nothing matters. It means not everything deserves to consume you. The embarrassing moments pass. The stress fades. The things that seemed life altering become stories you laugh about later. High school moves fast, and if you spend all your time worrying about what people think, you miss the best parts of it.
Some of my favorite memories came from the moments I almost talked myself out of: going to games, staying out late after school events, laughing with people I never expected to become close with, and making memories that seemed random at the time but now mean everything to me. The truth is, most people are too busy figuring themselves out to judge you as much as you think they are.
As seniors, we spend so much time worrying about college and growing up, that we forget to appreciate where we are right now. One day you’re walking into school half awake on a Monday morning, and the next you’re sitting at graduation wondering how it all went by so quickly. And when that moment comes, you won’t remember every assignment or every stressful night. You’ll remember the people, the laughs, the traditions, and the little moments that somehow became big ones.
Thomas Worthington gave me more than classes or grades. It gave me memories, friendships, and experiences I’ll carry with me forever. It taught me that life gets a lot easier when you stop taking every setback so seriously and start enjoying what’s right in front of you.
So to everyone still here, take the chance, go to the event, talk to new people, and stop overthinking everything so much. Because at the end of the day, nothing really is that deep.
Thank you, Thomas Worthington,
-Will Gams
Brooklyn Estep:
“Maybe one day.”
It’s such a simple phrase, but it’s something I think all of us say far too often. Maybe one day I’ll go to that football game. Maybe one day I’ll hang out with my friends more. Maybe one day I’ll step out of my comfort zone, get more involved, take more pictures, or make the most of high school. We convince ourselves there will always be more time, more opportunities, and more moments waiting for us later.
But as senior year comes to an end, I’ve realized just how fast everything really goes. The moments that once felt so ordinary — walking through the hallways, laughing with friends before class, sitting in the student section, even the routines we used to complain about — suddenly become the memories you wish you could hold onto forever. High school felt endless when we first started, but now it’s over in what feels like the blink of an eye.
I think one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that life is fleeting, and waiting for “one day” can sometimes mean missing out entirely. There were so many times people skipped school events, avoided making plans, or put experiences off because they thought there would always be another chance. But eventually, the “last” football game happens. The “last” dance. The “last” lunch with your friends. The last day walking through these halls. And you don’t always realize it’s the last time until it’s already over.
That’s why my advice is this: make that day today. Go to the game. Spend time with your friends. Take the pictures, stay out a little longer, say yes to the opportunities, and allow yourself to fully experience the moment you’re in. Don’t wait for the “perfect” time to make memories, because sometimes the best moments are the ones you almost talked yourself out of.
As we graduate and move into the next chapter of our lives, I hope people remember that time moves faster than we think. The moments we take for granted now will someday be the moments we miss the most. So stop saying “maybe one day,” and start making the most of today, because those are the memories you’ll carry with you forever.
– Brooklyn Estep
To Thomas Worthington High School,
Thank you for being more than just a school to the class of 2026. Over the past four years, these hallways became a second home, a place where we learned not only from textbooks and classrooms, but from each other. Within these walls, we discovered friendships that will last a lifetime, found passions we never expected, overcame challenges that pushed us to grow, and created memories we will carry forever.
Thank you to the teachers who believed in us even when we doubted ourselves, to the coaches and advisors who pushed us to be better, and to every staff member who made Thomas feel like a community. Thank you for the lessons that extended far beyond academics. Lessons about resilience, kindness, leadership, and finding confidence in who we are becoming.
Thank you for the Friday night lights, the spirit weeks, the packed student sections, the performances, the celebrations, the small everyday moments, and even the difficult days that shaped us along the way. What once felt routine has become something we already know we will miss.
As the class of 2026 prepares to leave, we do so with gratitude for the experiences, opportunities, and people that made our time here unforgettable. No matter where life takes us next, a part of us will always belong to Thomas Worthington.
With gratitude and love,
The Class of 2026
