Canyon Crest: A Eulogy | Maxine Mah

Hello students, staff, parents, neighbors, seniors, and those who know and love the deceased.

We are gathered here today to honor and respect the death and the legacy of Canyon Crest Academy.

While CCA will continue to live on in our hearts (and in real life since the non-seniors still have more high school (losers), the 2021-2022 school year is soon coming to a close, thus marking the end of an era for some, and the beginning of a journey for others.

For me, as a senior, Canyon Crest’s death means much more to me than just the end of my adolescence. It means the end of a community. It means the end of routine. It means the end of waking up at 5AM to go to high school swim practice, showing up to school at 7:30 with wet hair, falling asleep in every single one of my classes, writing articles for Pulse Magazine, going home to read 40 pages of the Odyssey, and falling asleep -- extremely excited to do it all over again the next day.

Some of us don’t exactly have fond memories of CCA, and that is more than okay. But, there are at least some moments, during my tremulous time, that I can appreciate, and hopefully, you can find, deep down within yourself, some moments as well.

For example, walking into Ms. Dasho’s class, first period, first semester, of my freshman year and shaking while I look at my essay grade in Aeries. Or sophomore year, when I joined the staff of our official school publication and found a community within a community. Or junior year, when I won first at Avacado West Leagues in the 200 IM, setting a meet record for CCA. Or joyfully screaming when I found out spring break was extended in 2020. Or getting honked at by an aggravated parent when I was turning into school. Or winning against Torrey Pines for the first time in 11 years, winning against their girls team for the first time in history, and having an undefeated swim season all during our senior meet. Having sophomore year formal on a literal yacht. Or just meeting people who have made a permanent impact on my life. While there were definitely a lot of lows, there were also some pretty incredible highs, all of which could not have been possible without Canyon Crest.

I know many of you don’t have these parts of high school -- we all have different experiences -- but I implore you to take a second and think about what CCA has given to you. New friendships, new mentalities, new strengths -- things that you would never have been able to encounter if it wasn’t for the Raven community. Whether it may have been the smallest, most finite recollection, or something that you will never forget, Canyon Crest has taught us in more ways than just one.

When I look back at my high school career, the countless memories I made on this campus, with these people, with these staff, will always make me smile. And yes, I’ve had awful moments throughout my four years here, but sprinting to my friends in the quad, cheering for my teammates behind the blocks, and just meeting people I’ll spend the rest of my life with, trump any bad day or mediocre grade.

Canyon Crest Academy, although not with some of us anymore, is where we grew up. It’s where we learned to become active members of our community. It’s where we learned to find our passions and futures. It’s where we learned to become ourselves. We will always be Ravens, even if CCA is no longer with us.