As a teacher at this time of year, we’re used to hearing and saying goodbyes. You’re saying goodbye to each other, to your teachers, and to LM in preparation for whatever comes next. Some of you have been ready to say goodbye for months. But, some of you might not have come to terms with any of the goodbyes you’ll need to say, and I’m with you. If you’re of that mind, my advice to you is simple: just don’t.

It sounds counterintuitive, but trust me, we go through this process often. Goodbyes are weighty. They carry a sense of finality. There are plenty of examples of people in my life where goodbye would never be right. If a person had such a strong impact on your life, why close that connection? If you truly enjoyed this chapter of your life, why end it? The person you took a lap with will likely still be that close friend when you go to different colleges. So is goodbye really appropriate? Will the person you FaceTimed with until ungodly hours of the night before a test be someone who is deserving of the ending that goodbye implies? If you confided in a teacher at some point during high school, does goodbye mean that relationship has run its course? 

By graduation, most of you will say goodbye because it’s the day when those sentiments are supposed to be shared. I can tell you now that if I see you after the ceremony, our conversation won’t end with goodbye. You all have had too profound an impact on who I am as a teacher for me to close out my memory of you and your class. Instead of putting that abrupt, definitive end on what you’ve done over four years, my response will be one of gratitude. Whether you were someone that had me for a semester or for four years, thank you. If you were someone that used my rooms as your safe space, you know I think the world of you. And for the entire class of 2025, your time at LM may be over, but goodbye doesn’t feel right. So, I’ll tell you all the same thing I tell every senior class: don’t be a stranger.

See you soon,

Mr. Cooperstein