To the incoming high school freshman:

Welcome to the next four years of your life. It's finally here: high school. The place that you've seen in movies, read about in books, and dreamed about since elementary school. You have many expectations and are anxiously awaiting your first day at the place you will spend your next four years.

Anxiety, excitement, fear, they is all setting in. New school, new schedule, new faces. It can all seem overwhelming and unbearable. But you will get through it. These next four years will be some of the best.

High school is a time for you to branch out and discover who you truly are. Join that club you were always interested in but were always scared of what people would think. Try out for the team you always watched your older sibling compete with. Audition for that role that you believe you were born for.

You'll regret it if you don't.

People say that high school is a time for reinvention. It's a new school, new expectations, new responsibilities, new faces. But it doesn't mean it has to be an entirely different YOU. Don't be afraid to be who you truly are, because I promise you will meet people just like you.

High school has a ton to offer, so make sure you take advantage of every possible thing it throws your way. Football games, dances, parties, they are all a part of the experience. Don't be afraid to try something new and make yourself a little vulnerable.

Failure is a part of any experience. Every high school student has heard a teacher say "failure oftentimes makes success sweeter." It's true. Aim big in high school. It sets the tone for your path to success.

There will be moments when you feel like high school is weighing you down and there's no way you can get everything done. That's normal. High school isn't meant to be easy. It's supposed to challenge you mentally, physically, and emotionally. And it will.

Take pride in that challenge. You'll be a better and stronger person because of it.

Figure out your work ethic, try new ways to study, and don't procrastinate. Teachers know when you didn't put your best effort into your work. But don't fret, they are they to help you succeed in every way possible.

Your parents are there to lean on, not push away. They have been there before and only want what is best for you.

Most importantly, enjoy it. High school is a time for reinvention, for new experiences and memories that will last a lifetime. Enjoy every second of it.

All my best,

A graduating high school senior