Dear High School Seniors,

I know how you feel right now. It's a week before school starts, and you just can't wait to start what's supposed to be the best year of your life! You're already dreaming of Friday Night Lights, Homecoming, Prom, and Graduation, but slow down. Trust me, it'll go by way too fast.

You'll be there on the first day of school, and if you're anything like me, you'll already have that countdown to graduation day started. You'll look at your school doors and you'll run in, ready to take this year head on. Slow down, you'll miss those hallways one day.

You'll put on your cheerleader uniforms, grab your shoulder pads, and tune your instruments on that first Friday of the year. You can't wait to show off your new dance, score that touchdown, and perform your halftime show. Slow down, ten games just isn't enough.

It's Homecoming. You've got the perfect date to the dance, your best friend is homecoming queen, and you just ran the game-winning touchdown! Celebrate! This is the last time you'll ever do that on Homecoming ever again. It's midnight already? The dance just started… you'll realize that this night went by way too fast, just like the rest of the year is.

It's senior night, and you look at the teammates next to you. At that moment, it didn't matter how many tackles you missed, stunts you dropped, or wrong notes you hit… you'll begin to wonder how it's already over. You'll begin to wish this whole high school thing would just slow down. It doesn't.

It's mid-term (or finals if you're on block schedule) week, and you're just dying to get done with those tests. You'll study flashcard after flashcard, read for hours on end, and make sure you know every answer. You'll pray that this thing will just hurry up already! Don't pray too hard… college finals are harder. Merry Christmas, seniors, you've got 18 more weeks left.

It's the first day back after Christmas Break. You're in your final semester of high school! You've applied to colleges, and you're finishing up scholarship applications. You're searching for the perfect major, and maybe you're undecided; that's great too. Your course load just became overwhelming again, and you wish for this year to fly by! Slow down… you'll never get these days back.

It's prom night. Your boyfriend picks you up at your house, and you go out to eat. You get to your high school and you go through lead out. You share your first dance and begin to party. Before you know it, it's 11 pm, and all your friends are leaving so you do too. You walk out and shake your head… nine more weeks, Seniors, it's time to make it count.

Graduation day! You made it! Along with all of your classmates and friends. You line up and Pomp and Circumstance begins to play. You follow the person in front of you, and you wait to hear your name called. Suddenly, the whole year begins to flash before your eyes and you wonder how it went by so fast.

You look into the crowd, your parents' eyes are filled with pride and tears. You accept your diploma, move your tassel, and you stand for the alma mater. You follow your friends to the flagpole where you do the one thing you've waited 14 years to do. You toss your cap and just like that, you're done.

Class of 2019, I was in your shoes twelve short months ago. I wished every day that my senior year would fly by. I'm here to tell you that everything you're dreaming of will happen. Friday Night Lights, Homecoming, Prom, and YES even Graduation will come in May.

Don't wish your whole senior year away. You're going to wish you could redo the whole thing next August. Make every minute of your last year of high school count. This is your time, your moment, your year.

From an alumna from the Class of 2018, I wish you the absolute best year of your lives. Just remember to SLOW DOWN. This will be the year that you always remember.