It’s funny that they call this a “commencement,” because to me, it’s really more of an end. We won’t be out of breath running from one class on the third floor to another in the chemistry building anymore; nor staying up late, barely making it through the last problem on a precalculus packet or a slate of annotations for English class. High school is over and many of us are going off to college, gap years, the workforce, or what have you. And endings, especially major ones, often invite a lot of reflection. 

For me, I’ve been reflecting on things I’ve learned—and I’ve learned a lot of valuable things at LMHS over the past four years—but one lesson takes the cake. It’s something that I think about and employ practically every day. And sorry to disappoint, Mr. Hawkins, but it’s not the knowledge of how to convert degrees to radians. Nor is it the inner workings of photosynthesis—sorry, Mr. Sam. 

It’s a lesson I’ve learned in part from dressing every day not in the typical (and honestly far more practical)

hoodie and sweatpants combo, but in different vintage and historical outfits from bygone eras. People are shocked when I tell them I’ve only ever worn a hoodie twice—and once was on a dare. If you don’t know me, I can be found on any given day wearing anything from a 1920s flat cap, starched collar, wool knickers ensemble; to a 1950s circle skirt, bobby socks, saddle shoe look; to a 1980s giant teased hair, shoulder pads, peg-leg-jeans outfit.

This is something I’ve been doing since I fell down a rabbit hole of fashion history in 8th grade; I started sewing and wearing my own 1960s mod minidresses and learned through trial and awkward Shirley Temple-esque ringlet error how to curl my hair with foam rollers. 

I know, it’s strange. And unusual. And if your kid started wearing three-piece suits and bowler hats to school, you might be worried they’d get bullied.

And sure, teenagers are famously mean. Any Millennials reading this know what I am talking about. Socks too short, jeans too skinny, and what’s up with all that avocado toast? And anyone who’s ever seen movies like Mean Girls or Clueless or Heathers or really any movie about high schoolers has seen pop culture’s finest displays of the ruthlessness of adolescent criticism. 

And yet, from my experience, the student body at LMHS has been a lot kinder to me than I expected. The worst comment I’ve gotten on what I’m wearing is when someone said I “looked like Shakespeare” while I was wearing a late 18th century-inspired outfit, tricorne and all, on July 4th. Beyond that, it’s just been compliments, questions, and far fewer stares than you’d expect. Or at least I just don’t notice them. 

And the lesson I’ve learned from all this? People generally aren’t thinking about you. They’re not really paying much attention to you at all. In fact, they’re most often thinking about themselves. (Geez, my hair looks a mess today! What’s for dinner tonight? Man, I’m so tired…) 

And I know, that’s totally antithetical to the teenaged mentality. We’ve all been, or are, self-conscious teens, scared of what our peers think of us. 

But once you realize that those peers are far more focused on whether or not their lipstick is smudged or what their current grade in Spanish class is, you feel liberated. 

So what do you do with this newly discovered freedom? Well, really, whatever you want —as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone (including yourself) or get in anyone’s way. Be weird! Be creative! Go wild! The worst thing that could happen is your peers cringe for a moment (giving you the useful feedback that you may want to return to the drawing board and fix some things up) before they promptly forget whatever it was and go back to considering whether to get a sandwich or pizza for lunch. 

And the best that could happen? Well, that’s for each of us to find out for ourselves. 

We’ve grown up in a weird, unprecedented time where we’ve all got cameras in our pockets, a world-wide web of potential eyes on us, and likes and comments feeling like they determine the worth of what we do. 

But the truth is, they don’t. And as long as you don’t cause anyone harm and you treat people with kindness, (because that, people will really notice), you can be as funky and awkward and goofy and out-of-the-box as you’d like. Learn how to play Beethoven’s Fifth on the keytar! Wear pigtails and giant bows in your hair! Become the world’s first pogo-sticking rapper! Be earnest and follow where your passion leads you.

Because for me, it’s brought me incalculable joy, new friends, and grand feelings of wonder and curiosity. 

So even if we’re marking the end of high school, we’re commencing new chapters of our lives, hopefully filled with fresh discoveries and unabashed creativity. 

Thank you, congratulations, and have a wonderful summer!