“View From the Top” has been in my life for a long time. In 7th grade, I read an article in the column where a senior talked about how she used to put Burt’s Bees lip balm on her eyelids as a method of getting “high.” I tried it and then thought I was basically a user and Marlborough’s Rue from “Euphoria.” I prayed to God (shoutout to Catholic school), asking him to forgive me for “Beezin’.”

Clearly, I was a very anxious 7th grader. Marlborough was new terrain for me, and I didn’t quite know how to talk to people or be myself. I’d like to give my 7th grade self a hug, look into her beady little eyes and tell her that she really should relax about that pre-algebra test. I’d reassure her that she would feel more comfortable with herself in the future, and that the suffocation of being in middle school would not last forever. 

To be honest, most of my Marlborough years bleed into each other in my memory. For example: I swear that Casino Night happened maybe two months ago…it was in February 2020. But even in 9th grade, the “View From the Top” column seemed like a transcoded message from a foreign planet of tall girls who took the uniform as a light suggestion, but it made me feel more connected to the seniors as I passed them in the halls.

And now, here I am. A rising senior in the class  of 2023. To those of you who flipped to the back of the UltraViolet to read this, hi! I’m so excited to share my views from the top of the Marlborough food chain with you (although at this point I’m not sure the 7th graders know it exists). I hope I can offer some advice and perspective and let all of those middle schoolers, and even juniors, know that it’s all going to be okay. I look forward to seeing you every month when you read the UltraViolet . XOXO, Ella M