“Part of the journey is the end.”

-Tony Stark

4 years, 720 days of school spent at Adams. What at once felt like a nightmare turned into my absolute dream scenario. I couldn’t see high school being good to me. I definitely thought it would be a terrible place for me to be at, but here I am, mere days away from graduation, reflecting on the past 4 years.

For those of you who have never met me, hello! My name is Cole and I’m a writer for The Tower. I am soon to be a student at Ball State University. In my time at Adams I have also been a section leader for the Drumline in the marching band, I played drum set in Jazz Band, I played a few small parts in our concert band, I was a co-founder of the revival of Indoor Percussion at Adams, and last but definitely not least, I was a member of National Honor Society. I also occasionally volunteer as a basketball coach or a staff member at my middle school. On top of all of those things, I also work two jobs. I am a Visitor Services associate at The History Museum and a Fun Zone Attendant at South Bend Cubs.

Something I pride myself on is hard work. I am constantly involved in as many things as I can so I can work hard to make a good reputation and grow myself as a person and help myself become successful. With that being said, leadership is also incredibly important to me. Helping others and influencing them to be their best selves is something that keeps me motivated and happy. 

So far I’ve listed lots of things many people may already know about me, which makes this whole thing sort of unnecessary.  My time writing for The Tower has helped me open personally and use my voice to show both how fun I can be and how I can write and overall gave me a good experience of community within Adams. So, some things people may not know about me is that I like poetry and I write really consistently and even post some of it on social media. I love grunge music. My favorite bands in that genre are Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains and Dinosaur Jr., I love basketball and football and am almost obsessive with how much I keep track of players and teams.

Now that you know me a little better, I’d like to say that I have appreciated and loved every moment that I have spent with the students and staff at Adams. I have enjoyed writing for The Tower, and I believe everyone who feels like they struggle to have a voice should join to give themselves a platform. I have also loved being a part of the band programs. Mr. Graham and Ms. Pantelleria and the rest of the organizers do a fantastic job and have changed my life incredibly in just two years that I have spent in the program. They have motivated me to work harder within the classroom, community, and practice room. If it wasn’t for them, I don’t believe that I would be able to say this much about my high school experience. I would also like to thank my percussionists in the band. Especially the drumline members I had the privilege of leading. Their hard work and acceptance of me help grow my confidence to where it is today and I love them each incredibly. The one person I’d like to thank the most is my best friend of the past 2 years, Eliana Wulfsohn, for supporting me and being the best friend and person I could ever ask for. I wouldn’t be who I am today without them and the support of the teachers and the extracurricular activities that shaped me through my formative years of high school.

I am sad to leave behind my second home, but I’m excited to see everyone, both seniors and underclassmen, grow and succeed with their future. My best advice to anyone is to not be a stranger to anyone in your life. Use your voice!

I wish you all the best, and thank you for showing me the best,

Cole Cleveland 🙂