Well, this is my last article for the Eye of the Hurricane. It seems like it came much faster than I thought it would, to be honest. And I think that both myself and my peers can agree that the past year of school has been much different than the previous eleven years. Some have seen it as a very much-needed change-in-pace before heading off to college. Others have seen it as a struggle. The Class of 2021 has gone through more changes in learning structures than any previous graduating classes have. I won’t lie; the virtual model has proven to be less engaging than any in-person learning model. I’ve found myself straying off and doing whatever throughout the year, yet I still managed to push myself and admittedly did a lot more homework than I probably needed to. Admittedly, if it weren’t for me needing to prepare to go to college next year and needing the material to do so, I probably wouldn’t have tried as hard.

Speaking of college, next year, I will attend Youngstown State University with Honors, where I plan on earning my Bachelor’s degree in the field of civil engineering. I honestly look forward to a change-in-pace from high school, but it is admittedly a little scary that my life is moving forward as quickly as it is. Civil engineering is a field that I have had an interest in for seemingly my entire life. In Kindergarten, the newspaper came to our classes and asked us what we wanted to be when we grew up. My response: I wanted to be a “bridge-builder.”

Although our test scores may say otherwise, I firmly believe New Castle has the best student body and the best teachers in the state. Legendary is a great word to describe them. Many of these people will go out of their way to help each other and support one another more than any other school I’ve seen. New Castle teachers also like to follow students throughout their lives and keep up with them, which is one unique thing about New Castle that is nearly unseen at other schools. I want to utilize the following paragraphs to thank some of the teachers that inspired me the most.

First, I’d like to thank my former robotics coach, Mr. Dado. Even though you don’t teach at New Castle anymore, I think there isn’t another teacher that has inspired me to pursue a degree in engineering more than you. Under your leadership, my team made it to the VEX Worlds competition, which is a lot bigger of an accomplishment than I thought it was in tenth grade. Ever since I was in your class in 7th grade, I knew robotics was a class I wanted to take. I wish the pandemic hadn’t cut the time in this class short.

Next, I’d like to thank my math teacher from Honors Algebra 2 through A.P. Calculus, Mr. Mantinaos. You have done a fantastic job preparing my peers and me for college with your higher-paced teaching style. In Algebra 2, I didn’t recognize the importance of doing homework as much as I do now. I quickly learned about halfway through that year that doing homework until you can do the problems with your eyes closed. I can confidently say that you’re the teacher who is setting the pace for the future of New Castle students after high school.

I also want to thank Mr. Lubin, Ms. Pezzuolo, the administration, and anyone else involved who tried their absolute hardest to make this year seem normal. These past few months have been ones that all students and teachers will forever remember thanks to your efforts. And even with a few hiccups, such as the promenade, we were still able to push through.

Last but certainly not least, I’d like to thank Mr. Abe. You’re the guy who got me into journalism and inspired me to write articles like this one. I think you’re one of the best teachers New Castle has ever had the privilege of having. As I conclude my fourth year in class with you as my mentor, I must say that your class is the one I’ve missed the most. Without you, The Eye of the Hurricane wouldn’t be the newspaper it is today. Thank you so much, and I greatly look forward to keeping in touch after high school.

To conclude my article, I’d like to announce that I will not stop writing articles after high school. I’ve launched a website, bretttyree.com, where I have already posted my previous articles and will publish more in the future. These future articles will expand upon the current pieces that I’ve written and much more, including articles I wrote for the Eye of the Hurricane that I never published. If you’re interested in what I’m writing for the Eye of the Hurricane, you may also find interest in taking a look at my website. I’m not going to post too often due to college, but I’ll strive to make my best effort to do so. You can sign up for my e-mail list at the bottom of the homepage.

Thank you so much for following me upon these last few years, and I look forward to continuing my journalistic efforts over the coming years.