“How have you been? How’s High School now that you’re a senior?”
Those were the first words that I read of my letter from my freshman self to my now senior self. The truth is, I can’t wait to embark on the newest phase of my life, but I know this new phase calls upon accountability and resilience.
Because of this, I want to add one final question for myself going forward; “How do you plan to live your life despite the hand you are dealt?” The response to this question will define who I am, and who I will become. My freshman self wouldn’t have known how to answer this question and, evidently, didn’t even think to ask it. While I still don’t have the perfect response, after completing my time at LM I can confidently say I would do a better job today at answering this question than I would have four years ago.
A simple answer that comes to mind is the motto of a very dear friend of mine—character counts. I have learned time and time again that these two words hold true in nearly every aspect of life. Your resilience, your will power, and your strength to endure what life throws at you is dependent on keeping a level head, consistent empathy, and kindness through action and intention.
I wish for my fellow graduates to embrace the changes that tomorrow will bring, and to learn from the mistakes that were made in the past. If you are willing to brush yourself off in the face of rejection, if you refuse to cower at the possibility of failure, you will become the person whom you wish to be—the person who receives that job offer, the person who exceeds the expectations of their counterparts, and the person who is able to accept a plethora of opportunities.
Though many of us can say that our time in high school has challenged the heck out of us, I can attribute most of my growth into an adult to this school, to the people, and to the teachers. I will carry the lessons I’ve learned here throughout my life, and the relationships I’ve developed have nurtured me into the person I am today. Thank you all for everything, we made it!
