Having graduated in May, Chris Sapinski will soon be moving into the next phase of his life as a computer science student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. As a recent graduate, Sapinski recalls his most memorable moments and impactful habits as a high school student. Sapinski answers some questions about his high school experience in a nutshell.

Q: What will you miss the most about high school?
A: I’m going to miss being able to see my friends every day because they’re all going to universities very far away. I’ll also miss how simple everything is, not having the responsibilities of having to live on my own.

Q: What is something you regret doing or not doing during high school?
A: I regret not going through more of the high school experience of not going to football games and also not having a senior year due to covid. I think that looking back on this, I’ll regret that in 20 years. I also took a lot of APs and college courses that took a toll on my mental health; if I could redo it, I wouldn’t do as much as I did.

Q: How did you strike a balance between schoolwork and enjoyment?
A: One of the things I regret about high school is that I didn’t ever strike a balance between work and leisure. I would procrastinate with all of my work until the last minute and cram the night before tests which had me in a constant state of panic.

Q: What are some things about high school that you’ll remember forever?
A: I look back fondly on all the time I spent with my friends, including the time we went on a several day trip for a state competition. I’ll also always remember the teachers that went out of their way to assist me in all that I wanted to accomplish; if I had one word of advice it would be to reach out to your teachers always.

Q: How has high school changed you as a person?
A: I was significantly more introverted going into high school, but meeting all kinds of different people has let me expand my horizons. I was able to form a social circle that I’m sure will last a lifetime, people that challenged and encouraged me, molding the person I am today.