Photo credits to Bonnie McCaffery
By: Molly Cunningham
For Dean Gumble, senior year has brought a new perspective on a place where he has spent the last four years growing up. As he reaches the top of the “totem pole,” Gumble is looking forward to spending time with his friends, continuing to play sports, and making the most of his final year at Wallenpaupack.
Looking back at his freshman self, Gumble says one of the biggest changes he has noticed is how he interacts with others. As a freshman, he was much shyer and more awkward around people. Over time, however, he became more comfortable in social situations and more open to meeting new people, whether that meant making new friends or simply getting to know new acquaintances. High school has given him the confidence to step outside of his comfort zone and connect with the people around him.
His involvement in sports and clubs has played a key role in creating those connections. Of all his experiences, Gumble says swimming gave him the strongest sense of community. With everyone knowing everyone, he found the team to be a consistently positive environment and a place where he could feel connected to those around him.
One of Gumble’s favorite high school memories is a little more memorable than most: dying his hair blonde for baseball districts. While he admits the memory may stand out partly because the blonde hair is “still with me,” the experience represents something bigger to him. It was another moment that brought people together and helped build a sense of community within the organization.
That sense of connection has also shaped one of the most important lessons Gumble has learned throughout high school. He says that people are often much nicer and friendlier than they may initially seem. Sometimes, he believes, you just must “find the right part of them.” It is a perspective that has helped him become more open to the people around him and appreciate the relationships he has built.
Those friendships and relationships are also what Gumble is most proud of from his time in high school. The people he has met and the connections he has maintained have become an important part of his everyday life, making each day “just that much better.” As he prepares to leave Wallenpaupack, those relationships will be among the things he carries with him.
Gumble also hopes to leave behind a sense of positivity. With so many great people throughout the school, he believes everyone deserves a little happiness here and there. Whether through his involvement in activities or simply the way he interacts with others, he hopes to help make the high school experience a little better for the people around him.
If he could give his freshman self, one final piece of advice, Gumble would tell him to slow down and appreciate it. “Take it all in and enjoy it while you can,” he says. “It goes quick, and you won’t be here forever, so make the best of it.” After four years, that advice has become especially meaningful as he approaches the end of his own high school experience.
With the rest of senior year ahead of him, Gumble plans to focus on the next chapter while still making the most of the one he is in. He will spend the year applying to colleges and working toward his next step, while also helping with events through Volunteers in Paupack. And, of course, he will continue doing what has been such a big part of his Wallenpaupack experience: swimming in the winter and baseball in the spring.
We wish Dean the best of luck as he finishes his senior year and begins the next chapter of his life!
