Dear DHS students,

After four years of high school struggles and fond memories, I never would have thought my senior year would end in a pandemic, but sadly it is still the middle of the outbreak of COVID-19; the number of reported cases and the death toll continues to rise in the United States and Texas. My prayers go out to those who have been seriously affected by the virus in one way or another. However, this event has made me appreciate DHS even more, and I am very grateful to our administration who has continued to push forward, and who are giving us seniors the opportunity to walk the stage and graduate among our peers. We may not have had the last two months of school to compete and earn the various awards and honors we might have achieved, but we have still accomplished many things. Our class has state champions and qualifiers in countless events from volleyball and cross-country to multiple FFA CDEs and LDEs to theatrical design! I am proud to be a part of the Decatur community, and especially a part of the class of 2020. 

I wish I could go back and tell my younger self to join more events, and that while grades are important so is having a social life. I finally found my place at the DHS theatre department sophomore year, but it wasn’t until junior year that the department became like family. My advice to all the lower classmen would be to keep trying new things. As cliche as it is, you never know how things will work out if you don’t try them, and sometimes your first experience may not be the best. The first show I participated in was the musical “Godspell”, and it was not a particularly fun experience for me. However, I still made friends and while my grades were always my top priority, being a part of theatre gave me a fun escape and amazing memories. If I had quit theatre as a sophomore, I don’t know what I would have done for the next two years of high school.

Albert Einstein once said “Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.” My education consists of plenty of academic knowledge and formulas crammed into my head. But, most vividly my education consists of the memories of opening nights and the IHOP dinners on the last day of a show. Of last year’s prom and the great flood. Of competing in one act play, attending thespian festival, and becoming state champion in set theatrical design. Of talking to my teachers about college and life in general. Of Coach Smith’s tip to not wear horizontal stripes and Mrs. M’s favorite kinematics formula. Decatur is an amazing place to go to school, and I am going to miss the community and support I received here. 

Thank you for an amazing four years of high school. I wish the best of luck to next year’s seniors and the underclassmen. 

Kaitlyn Lane

Class of 2020