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For the Onalaska High School Class of 2008, this is it. today is the last day of high school, and the culmination of nearly 13 years of studying. Since it is the end, I have no choice but to get nostalgic and revisit the joys of my youth.

As proud children of the ’90s, my fellow classmates and I grew up with the gang war between N*SYNC and Backstreet Boys fans. We dreamed of becoming one of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. We played Oregon Trail in computer class, back when Britney Spears was the “girl-next-door,” and Pluto was still a planet.

However, my favorite thing about growing up in the ’90s was a little show called “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” Every week, my brother and I would tune in to watch the group of teens around the campfire tell a creepy tale, and that night, without fail, I would be up all night, terrified under the covers and praying that the vampire couldn’t get through my window.

Looking back on it, I realize that tales of being stuck in a dollhouse or a pinball game are nothing compared to what the Class of 2008 is up against. In fact, the producers should’ve named the show, “Are You Afraid the Major You Choose to Study Isn’t As Fulfilling As You Thought It Would Be,” or “Are You Afraid You’re Not Going to Be Able Pay Back That $30,000 Student Loan?”

Those are only a couple things we’re going to have face in the next few years, not even including paying taxes and the rising cost of oil products.

If there is one thing that I have learned from being a child of the ’90s, it is to never let go of that fearlessness that we had when were kids. Even though shows like “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” and books like Goosebumps, scared us, we still had the courage to tune in again or to read another book, and if we got scared, we’d deal with it ourselves and find some way to make it through the night.

Back when we were kids, it was OK for us to fail. In fact, it was encouraged, because we learn the most when we fail. Somehow, growing up has taught us that it’s not OK to fail because we’ll disappoint people — or worse, ourselves.

As we enter this next chapter in our lives, we have to remember that the only way we could disappoint ourselves is if we gave up a great opportunity because we were just “too scared.” We need to find a way back to the time in our childhood when we seized every opportunity with gusto and had an open mind for every experience.

After four (and in some cases, more) crazy, fun, scary, exciting, years together, here’s to the Class of 2008; may our lives be filled with some tremendous failures, and even more astonishing comebacks and successes.

Molly Koby is a senior at Onalaska High School.