We've made it! Well, almost. Graduation isn't here
yet, but it is definitely right around the corner. You don’t really know how
far you've come, or how much you've grown, until you take a step back and look
at your life for the past four years. On your eighth grade graduation day, did
you see yourself doing that same thing four years later with a different cap
and gown, and a new set of friends? On your first day of high school, did you
imagine yourself walking down those halls for four years? You probably didn't yet here you are, about
to walk them for the very last time. Every one of us has accomplished some
great things, whether it’s a good grade, some type of award, or just managing
to stay awake in class. Regardless of what we've done, we've all ended up in
the same place: walking across a stage that holds one of our last high school
memories.
Your last high school memory may be different than
someone else’s. While one person will remember tripping across the stage for
their diploma, someone else might remember that last hug from a good friend who
leaves before the summer even starts. For me, I’ll probably remember both.
After graduation, we all leave to do great things, whether it’s college, the
military, or a job of any kind. No matter where we’re going, we’re all starting
a new, scary adventure that will take us four years or more to get through,
but, we all know we are perfectly capable. We've already completed one as it
is.
I've learned a lot since my freshman year. I've mastered writing a Mr. O’Shea-approved SIFT essay; I've learned how to stay
awake during a multi-slide PowerPoint with too many words on each and every
slide; I've really learned how to fake my way through a titration lab, even
though I really did try at first. Most importantly, I've learned how to push
myself to do my best, while also helping others along the way. College will be
opening many new doors for us, and for the first time, we’re on our own when
deciding which ones to walk through and which ones to shut. We won’t have that
guaranteed safety of our friends and school faculty to help us go in the right
direction. We’ll have new friends and new faculty to depend on, but in the end,
we all have to learn how to trust our own judgment.
It’s really important to remember that this may be
the end of a four year journey, but it’s the beginning of something much
greater. We've made our fair share of mistakes, and we’re definitely going to
make more. We really are growing up, and as scary as it sounds, we’re all going
to be just fine. We will be faced with many challenges beyond college, but as
we grow, so does our experience. We’re ready for everything that is coming our
way, and as time goes on, we will be better prepared for the things we haven’t
seen yet.
Now, we all need a deep breath. We’re ready, whether
we think so or not. “Your mountain is waiting. So…get on your way!”
