‘Leaver’s Assembly’ – a slam farewell for high-school graduation

(Image by Prayitno, used under CC license)

It’s that bittersweet time of the year when high-school seniors say farewell to their classmates, look forward to their hard-earned summer break, and prepare for an exciting new journey through college.

Last year, Naina Lavakare, a student at The British School, Delhi, was asked to write a slam piece for the traditional ‘Leaver’s Assembly’ held in honor of her seniors who were graduating. She wrote the poem below. This year, she herself is getting ready to start college in New York City.

Leaver’s Assembly
By Naina Lavakare

Do you remember your first day of school?
You were so scared, you wanted to be ‘cool’
You probably didn’t think about how one day,
You were going to say
“Hey, this was my last first day”
Time has gone by so quickly,
Yet slowly.
Remember that time you were desperate to be in Middle School?
To be a senior? To break a few rules?
Remember the time homework used to be just coloring?
To the time home work was pure suffering?
Remember all the nights you spent up at 3am,
Trying to finish that essay and submit it to them?
You dreaded going to school, wishing it was over
You couldn’t face the day- you had a terrible hangover.
But you got out of bed,
Despite the pounding in your head
Took a deep breath and entered the gates
And so, at 8
In the morning; your journey starts
Where you meet the people who are going to a be a part
Of an unforgettable time in your life, in your heart
You’ve gone through so much,
Stress, heartbreak, conflicts and such
For the last 4 years you’ve been
Workin’
Towards achievin’
Your dream
And now that you’re almost at the finish line
How does it feel?
To seal the deal?
I feel that in the rush to get into college
We’re failing to acknowledge
The priceless moments we’ve had in school,
Sitting in the cafeteria, talking about the future pool,
Inter-house competitions, staying back to meet a teacher
Reading in the library, these are the features!
That you’re going to miss the most
When you head off to the east or west coast
So appreciate them now,
Look around you and see how
You’ve come so far
You’ve done it – you reached for the stars
Now appreciate the space shuttle that got you here
Your teachers, your friends and your peers
We’re all going to be there for you
And help the person that we knew
If you ever need a dose of familiarity
To make this sense of finality
This transition, more comfortable – you know what to do
Don’t hesitate to leave us a message or two
We can talk together about our school memories!

So good luck and adieu…
We’re going to miss you!

(The above poem originally appeared here, and is published here with the author’s permission.)

Related stories
How poet and patriot Sarojini Naidu went to King’s College at 16
6 ominous classics everyone should read
Learn a foreign language this summer
A computer science student on his first term at Northeastern University
Seeing isn’t always believing: digital literacy for students
Ace your student visa application
Here’s some advice on how to handle all the advice