To the little freshman girl that I couldn't help but take under my wing when I was a senior,

I guess at this point, I should be calling you a senior, but no matter how old you get, you're always going to be my freshman. You're the girl that I knew, on the first day of cheerleading tryouts, I was going to take under my wing and declare my little sister. There was just something about you that reminded me of me, back when I was a freshman in the same position you were in, about to start the next chapter of my life. And seeing you made me realize that I had made it through my own freshman year because a wise senior girl had taken me under her own wing, and made sure that I had help transitioning.

So, at every practice, I made sure that you had somebody to stretch with, somebody to talk to during water breaks. Somebody to cheer you on when we were learning a new stunt and to help make sure you were learning every new cheer and dance (even though you were always so much better than me). At games, I made sure you had somebody harassing you for pictures, so that you had an arsenal of pictures for your first season.

I know I didn't have to do this-you would have been fine on your own, and I know that, because you're so strong and so talented and you'd be amazing at whatever you tried to do in life. But, I wanted you to know that you had somebody there, looking out for you. Sometimes, I'm sure I probably took my self-appointed role as your big sister too far and you probably thought I was annoying at times, but I grew attached to you and I loved you like you truly were my sister as the season went on.

I was blessed though, because I didn't just get to spend a season on the sidelines cheering by your side. We were in chorus together, and the select women's ensemble, too. We were in the musical together. And with each activity that I was in with you, our friendship grew stronger. One of my most cherished memories from my senior year is your mom thanking me for always being there for you, and to this day every time she refers to me as your older sister, my heart swells because nothing makes me happier than knowing that I helped you, even in some small way.

I graduated, and you were there, celebrating that moment with me (and your older biological brother, of course), and I got ready to move away to college. And as I got ready to embark on my next adventure in life, I made sure that I stayed up to date on everything going on with you. I celebrated your successes and I cheered you on for every try out or audition.

Now, you're about to senior. You're going to take on the role for some new freshman girl that I took on for you. And I hope that when you walk into that gym for the first day of tryouts or the first time you enter the auditorium for auditions, you find a freshman girl that seems to be keeping to herself, just slightly, and you reach out to her, and make sure that she knows she has somebody there for her. Because any girl would be lucky to have a role model like you-somebody who is so pure that they just radiate goodness.

Enjoy this year. Hold onto it and cherish it, and never let it go. Don't just wish it away, and don't spend the entire year waiting for the next big event. Yes, Homecoming is going to be epic, because it has so many moments dedicated to being the "last time" but that last first home game and the last bus ride with the team or even something as simple as a random team dinner with the girls is a moment that's going to have you looking back once its past and wishing you could live in forever. Make the most of it, and remember that now, it's your turn to be the role model. Help somebody else become the type of person that I've watched you become over the past four years.