One of the few things I will gladly wake up early for on a school day is a Westview Ambassador skit. Those mornings, I pack my usual homework, lunch, and books, but these items are accompanied in the car’s backseat by my ’26 jersey, a basketball prop, a speaker, bubbles, a cow onesie costume, and a fat stack of Rosemary Cabanban ambassador cards. 

To prepare for these skits, I spend a week memorizing my lines and chants, and sometimes, dances. But it’s all worth it at the elementary assembly when I get to step into the role of Caring Cow, or Teamwork T-rex, or Respectful Reindeer, and get to be the fun storyteller I’ve loved since I was young. 

In my long-ago time at Park Village Elementary, one of my favorite parts of the school day was read-aloud. I’d sit criss-crossed applesauce on the rug while either my teacher or the librarian would read us a whole picture book, displaying all the illustrations. Then, when I grew older, my ears were blessed by a whole chapter of some of my favorite books from my childhood. Some of my friends dreaded this period of silence and stillness, but I relish in the colorful storylines, watercolor illustrations, and ecstatic characters. I sat still, excited, and wide-eyed at each word read. What sparked my little brain most was belief in creative characters solving problems and being friends. Now, I’m so grateful to indulge once again in my childhood love for stories, but this time, as one of those ridiculous, dramatic, and friendship-loving characters. 

And although I must eventually end the Ambassador skit and return to my AP classes, weekly quizzes, and stacks of homework, the bright-eyed stares and excited giggles from the elementary students are contagiously joyous. So, as I complete my final days at Westview, my final weeks as a PUSD student, I try to save that joy with me for as long as I can. 

I’m 18 as of nearly one month ago, but I still love stories. I still love playing on the playground and playing pretend with the kids at Ambassador playdates. I love blowing bubbles and shooting water bottles under the blue sky—the same blue I used to stare at every lunch recess when I pretended to fly on the swings. 

And as I enter my next chapter, which is arriving now sooner than my heart expected, I’m so sad to end my storytelling time on Westview Ambassadors. But, I can’t wait to experience so much more in college, and I can’t wait to tell all the stories about it.