I’m an artistic swimmer. I have been for the past eight years. It’s not water ballet and we don’t wear flowered swim caps. Artistic (previously known as synchronized) swimming is a combination of gymnastics, dance, cheerleading and speed swimming. This sport has truly made me who I am today. I’m so extremely thankful for the memories I’ve made, best friends I met and experiences I lived.
The 2019-2020 season was my last season. I’ve swam with this group of girls for more than five years. They’ve seen me laugh and cry, gasp for breath, felt me squeeze their hands for good luck. They heard me cheer their names and so much more. Next year I’ll be hours away from these friends who have become family. Further, I’m not sure I’ll ever compete again.
"This was supposed to be our year." –Leah Ryzenman
This was supposed to be our year. We qualified for the U.S. Senior Nationals, the highest-level competition for athletes of my age division in the country. It was scheduled for late March. We were also working to place at the 2020 Summer Junior Olympics, the largest artistic swimming competition in the U.S. Both competitions were canceled and the future became uncertain. I miss my teammates more than anything.
Our lives were turned upside down and inside out, and just as we were starting to get a sense of who we were, our evolving identities seemed to be erased.
The past four years I have participated in an array of meaningful extracurriculars. At New Albany High School, I was selected as a member of the SOAR Leadership Group, spreading positivity and kindness to students and faculty as well as promoting school culture. I participated in the school’s drill team, fashion show and the social studies Rho Kappa Honor Society. Away from campus, I was involved in several peer groups, some of which covered topics of politics, healthy relationships and athletics.
I work extremely hard; I earned a 35 on the ACT, a GPA of 4.30, and I’m a National Hispanic Scholar and National Merit Finalist. Everything that I’ve accomplished is important to me. For the past 18 years, I’ve been waiting for the moment when my hard work will pay off. I understand I still have so much ahead of me, but this year was supposed to be my year. You’re conditioned to believe that your senior year of high school is where you get the accolades and the respect from your younger peers. Where you get to skip class because there are special senior activities and meals. Where you spend every possible second with your best friends because you know you’re all going to different places next year.
Not the classes of 2020, though. But do you know what else?
I’ll have so many memories that no other graduating classes will share. I can say my class had a parade in their honor. Our school surprised us with NAHS Graduate of 2020 yard signs. The moms of our town “adopted” us and dropped off snacks and wishes of happiness at our doorsteps. We have graduation pictures six feet apart from our best friends or wearing a mask. There are signs around our town in support of us. We’re far from the traditional class of high school seniors.
I didn’t get the senior activities and bits of recognition that I expected, but I’ve already earned the best reward: the lessons and experiences I’ve had along the way. The skills I developed and the relationships I formed are more valuable than a senior brunch or announcement. I may not be able to swim with my teammates again, but we’re definitely friends for life.
I’ve also had time to reflect on how lucky I am. I’m lucky to be healthy and have a loving family with which I can shelter in place. I’m lucky to have access to the internet so I could finish my classes and take AP exams. And I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for my parents and supportive community. Thank you.
I may not be able to hug my fellow seniors at graduation, but it has only cemented our resolve to stay in touch as we split up next year. We’ve put in the work, and it has paid off – even if we can’t celebrate it now, we’ll look back at our crazy high school senior year from our respective universities. I will be studying at the School of Education and Social Policy at Northwestern University in the fall.
I don’t know what will happen in the fall. I don’t know if I’ll be on campus or still learning online. But I do know that I’ll have these experiences that the vast majority of other people could never even imagine. Even as the years pass by and my memories fade, nothing will be able to take away the resilience, hope and compassion I developed during this global pandemic. I’m a member of the class of 2020.
Leah Ryzenman is a New Albany High School graduate. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
