Every year OLLA Fest reminds us of a simple truth, we’re not the same girls who walked into these halls on the very first day of freshman year. Back then, we were wide eyed, nervous, and convinced that everyone else had it figured out except for us. 

Then sophomore year rolled around, and suddenly we weren’t the youngest anymore, but still underclassmen. We knew the hallways, the teachers, the rhythm of school life. But we were still figuring out who we were, standing awkwardly in the middle, not quite the newbies, not yet the upperclassmen. Stress crept in with harder classes, but we were still learning to power our way through it.

By junior year, our stakes felt higher. Suddenly it was SATs, college tours, and late night study sessions, layered over spirit week competitions that gave us a brief escape from the looming weight of “our future.” We cheered louder and maybe even surprised ourselves with how much pride we had in this place. But the stress was real, and balance became harder to find.

And then senior year OLLA Fest feels different. Nostalgic even. Every cheer, every theme, every laugh comes with the quiet reminder that this is our last one. We’ve evolved from timid freshmen to leaders of our school in our own unique ways, carrying not just our class but the lessons we’ve gathered along the way. We’ve learned that stress will come and go, that friendships shift, that some challenges break us down only to build us back stronger.

Because at the end of the day, it was never just about grades, or outfits, or even winning. It was about growth. About the way we walked in as one version of ourselves and through the chaos of spirit week, exams, ups and downs, and victories, we became a braver, louder, and more certain version of ourselves.

That’s what the real spirit of OLLA Fest is, not just competition, but celebration. A reminder that no matter how messy the in between years felt, we made it here. We grew. And that growth is what truly lasts.