Sign the Patch Yearbook

School is officially out, meaning graduating seniors throughout Kennesaw will soon be taking that next step into "the real world."

Ah, the real world – there it is, kids, peeking over the horizon of your youth. One more step, and there you'll be, staring into the black abyss of adulthood and all the stress, bills and endless responsibilities that come with it. From this point forward, life is no fun.

Commencement speech over.

Now, breathe. And forgive my Patchy sense of humor. In reality, graduation signals the beginning of another phase of your youth. A transition into more responsibility? Yes. But also, an exhilarating and enlightening period that comes with its fair share of confusion, personal revelation, failures and triumphs.

Just like high school.

Whether you're a high school senior or a proud grandparent of a current grad, we all share the common experience of those formative adolescent years, as awkward as they may have been. Some of us excelled in academics, leadership, music, art or sports. And all of us learned what it means to be a part of a community, whether memories of those four years bring a tear of joy, a sigh of remembrance or a grunt of contempt.

As a graduate of Kennesaw Mountain High School, it's the smaller moments that stand out in my mind's eye: singing in front of the mirror in preparation for the school talent show, falling in love with the book "As I Lay Dying" mostly due to Mrs. Gillham's fantastic delivery of the words, "My mother is a fish," and of course, spending lunch breaks talking with my best guy friend (who'd eventually become my husband).

Tonight, I'd like to congratulate all our graduating high school seniors. I invite current graduates, and all community members, to sign our Kennesaw Patch Yearbook so to speak.

What are your best memories of high school? What are you doing this summer? Will you keep in touch? Do you like me? Yes, many of life's deeper questions are asked and answered within the covers of our high school yearbooks.

Please share a little bit about yourself and some of the more memorable moments of your high school career. And if you're really feeling brave, you can also upload your high school pictures to this article by clicking the "Add your photos & videos" link.