For almost twenty years now, Taylor Swift has captivated audiences and reshaped the music industry. While starting in the country genre with her first, self-titled album, "Taylor Swift", in 2006, Swift has also expanded to creating music in the Alternative and Pop genres as well in more recent years. While she has received backlash over the years for her countless "breakup songs", Taylor Swift has stolen the hearts of many of her fans for her endless talent in writing, singing, and performing music. With an artist as talented as Swift, it's not very hard for her fans to have a favorite album or song. My favorite song from Taylor Swift's album, 1989, is "New Romantics". When I listened to the song "New Romantics" for the first time, I loved the beat of the music. Upbeat and light, I found the song to be catchy instantly. The sound of this song is similar to the new style of music that was introduced in the 80s when Swift was born. Reflective on her time growing up, listeners are able to experience a wave of the past while listening to the chords and notes in the song. Another reason that "New Romantics" is my favorite song from the 1989 album is because of the story that Taylor Swift portays to us about her life and how I can relate this to my life. The first line from the song that I like is "Honey, life is just a classroom". For me, this line tells me that we are constantly learning. Life often feels like it is being thrown at us, but through experiences and troubles, the good and the bad, we can learn skills and know better for the next time we go through something difficult or uncertain. Next, I find most of the chorus to also be relatable and tell us more about Taylor Swift as a person. The first line from the chorus speaks, "'Cause, baby, I could build a castle out of all the bricks they threw at me". To me, this line shows the struggles that Swift has gone through to be successful. Not everyone is or will be a fan, but we need to learn to make better with the negativity and overcome it. The following line then goes, "And every day is like a battle, but every night with us is like a dream". The way I take this line is that we might have to fight through the day to overcome our challenges, but being with somebody that we trust and love can feel like a reward at the end of the day. Finally, the chorus ends with, "The best people in life are free". This means that those who will truly care for us and be there for us aren't there becuse they expect anything in return, but because they want to be in our lives. All in all, I find my favorite song from Taylor Swift's 1989 album, "New Romantics" to be upbeat and encouraging both with the sounds of the music and the lyrics that Swift created. Having the right people in our life help us overcome the challenges of those who doubt us and want to see us fail. Together, the circle of people that we keep close to in life are the ones who make it worth living to the fullest. Through failures we learn, and while we won't have everyone's support, we have the ones who matter most.

For me, Monroe High School has been a place of opportunity and a building bursting with friendships. It has been a place I have enjoyed visiting over the past four years whether it be for daily school lessons, after-school practices, or club meetings. Monroe High is a place that brings many fond memories to mind that I will cherish for a lifetime. The reason Monroe High School means so much to me is because of the people that fill it. From teachers and faculty to students, Monroe High is abundantly filled with individuals who make this place something special. Over my time at Monroe High School, I have had many teachers and faculty members make this building a place I look forward to visiting every day. From the athletic department to the kitchen staff, I have been blessed with the opportunity to make so many close relationships with the people in my school community. Every teacher, from the ones I’ve taken multiple classes with to those I just see in the hallways, has made an impact on my life. Here, I’ve had the opportunity for learning to become enjoyable and have been able to learn lessons important to life outside of the classroom. No matter how much or how little experience I’ve had with all those working at Monroe High School, I can definitely say that each and every staff member I’ve had an interaction with has positively impacted my life. Miss Julie Oddo was one of these staff members. Although I have never had Miss Oddo as a teacher, I have seen her kindness and dedication to her students firsthand. While we were locked down for Covid-19 in 2020, my sister had Miss Oddo as her math teacher. I remember hearing Miss Oddo’s voice coming from my sister’s computer as she would sing songs and explain the math lessons each and every day. My sister has struggled with math in the past, but she had always remarked that Miss Oddo had made the subject significantly easier for her. When summer came around, my sister had wanted to visit Miss Oddo in order to give her flowers as a way to say “thank you” for all of her help throughout the school year. When she set up a day with Miss Oddo, my whole family ended up paying her a visit. When we made it to her house, Miss Oddo welcomed all of us with open arms and invited us to chat instead of leaving right away. We ended up spending over an hour just sitting on her porch and visiting. Even in a time where we weren’t in school, Miss Oddo’s dedication to her students and her outward kindness to those around her is something I have admired since the day I met her. Because of this, meeting Miss Oddo has been one of my favorite memories as I look back on my high school years, especially during a time when communication and school togetherness was forced to come to a halt.