To the graduating high school senior,

As you spend your last days in high school, please take the time to reflect on all of the amazing experiences that you have had over the past four years. Some of them have been good, and I can guarantee you that some have been extremely bad. But, please do not forget the bad experiences... some of those are going to be the most important memories you keep.

You have grown a lot over the past four years, and for that your parents are extremely proud. Do not forget to thank your parents for all that they have sacrificed for you to get to this point in your life. Whether after graduation you are planning on taking a gap year, entering the workforce, or attending college, your parents have made some extreme sacrifices for you to be where you are now. I know that they may seem annoying, but they have been preparing you for eighteen years to get to the moment that you are living in now. Give your mom a break when she is crying over your baby pictures.

Cherish every moment. These are some of the last days that you will get to spend being a kid. If you are planning on attending college, moving away from home will be a major wake up call. From graduation on, you will be held accountable (by most) for your actions. Your past habits of being irresponsible will catch up to you, and acting like a kid will make you lose respect from more established adults.

Realize that the things you did in high school truly do not matter in college. Do not go to college thinking that you are experienced or well versed in anything -- as a first-year student you truly know nothing. As a first-year, I can guarantee you that there are at least 10 people better than you in whatever it is you are good at. Take your first year day by day, and learn from your experiences. Do not go into college thinking that you know everything because you really know nothing. Try to take each experience as a learning experience, and in doing so I can promise you that you will come out on top by the end of your first year on campus.

Take a deep breath, and think about who you are as a person, and who you want to become over the course of the next four years. You have spent the past four years trying to develop the plan that you are now going to be following. Be proud of the journey that you have taken: high school is tough! However, things are only going to get harder after graduation.

Do not get worked up about events like prom. Prom is a silly night for you to dress up and enjoy with your friends. Looking back on it a year from now, you will think about all of the money you spent on that night, and how if you only would've saved that money...maybe you could be eating something besides popcorn or easy mac. You should've thought about your future self and your priorities.

Please take these final weeks of your senior year to thank your classmates, teachers, family members, and friends for supporting you throughout your high school journey. If it weren't for their support, you would not be crossing the stage in late May.

Try to look back and remember all of the goods times and the bad times: the biology tests you failed, the one time you tripped on the stairs, homecoming dances, arguments with your mom, calling your friend that moved freshman year, calling your friend that lives across the street, calling your mom crying because you had a fender bender, your crazy theater class teacher, the (awesome) school lunch, and your favorite math teacher.

All of these things, all of these memories, have shaped who you are and your high school experience. Congrats, grad. You made it.