To My Gig Harbor High School Class Of 2013, Four Years Later
Start writing a post
Sports

To My Gig Harbor High School Class Of 2013, Four Years Later

Four years later I’m still saying that I wish you only the best.

141
To My Gig Harbor High School Class Of 2013, Four Years Later

It’s crazy to think it’s been exactly four years since all 400 of us were in the same room united as one. When we left we were all headed our separate ways to move either across town, across the state, across the country, or across the world. We were all closing a chapter of comfort and entering a new world filled with unfamiliar faces, new buildings, and a new lifestyle, leaving behind family and some close friends. Some of us went to schools where it was one big high school reunion all over again. Others went to places where no one had even heard of our hometown. In one way or another, we all found success that reached our own individual standards. So to my graduating class, here is what I have to say.

Success does not have a set definition.

When we left high school many of us dreamed that we’d be winning a Pulitzer or Nobel Peace Prize two years into high school. When we realized that wasn’t the case some of us dropped out of school and realized that wasn’t for us. Or immediately switched careers in hopes of finding a higher amount of happiness doing something else. That’s okay. It took practice and trial and error to realize what we wanted to do and what would lead us to that platform of success. Some of us were late bloomers and realized now that we want to get an education, or change up our lifestyles and achieve new goals. Success is a measurement that we can make up all on our own, and in the world, we live in we have a lot of options to fulfill our wants and needs.

Home will always be waiting.

For some of us, we have been too afraid to leave in fear of leaving what we are comfortable with. Home is wherever you make it out to be. So screw Thomas Wolfe when he said, “You can’t go home again.” That’s not true at all. Home will always be where you last left it, ready to pick back up when you are. But like Seuss once said, “Your mountain is calling so get on your way,” the world is waiting for you to discover and explore it. You’ll have nothing else to lose other than the experience, and the ability to say that at least you tried.

We’re really not as old as you think.

Sure we may joke that 22 is old age but really think about it. We’re not even halfway to the average life expectancy. So stop making excuses. It is never too late to start something new. To pick up a new hobby, study a new subject, and do whatever it is you desire to do. Some people may not find their “thing” until they’re in their 70’s. But don’t be that person.

Stop trying to rush things.

We’ve come to the point where we see a new engagement/pregnancy/wedding announcement at least once a week. It’s great to see pure happiness in old friends and classmates, but don’t feel the need to rush things for yourself. The time will come when we’re all individually ready. Didn’t your mother ever talk to you about late bloomers?

Don’t Settle.

You don’t need to settle for the first company that hires you and talks to you about starting your first 401k. Just because you get a “dream job” doesn’t mean that it’s your “dream job.” Going back to success being an individual’s measurement, you should never settle for anything until you are 100% satisfied with the results and outcome.

I’m proud to have graduated with remarkable people like yourselves.

There is no other school and not another group of people I would have loved to graduate with. High School in one way or another was a fun time that I will always remember positively with. Through the use of social media and the tools, we have today it has been a pleasure to keep tabs on everyone and see what has happened and how much has changed within these past four years. As just a preview of the lifetime we have ahead, I can confidently say I am excited for where we will all end up 10 years from now.


So at our 10-year reunion, it will be interesting to see where we all end up. Who won the Nobel Peace Prize, who has the most children, who even has the most career changes. Whatever it is that we all do remember that this world is yours and it’s whatever you make of it. It was a pleasure to graduate with you all, and it’s an even pleasure to continue to watch our class grow into this crazy thing we call adult hood. So four years later I’m still saying that I wish you only the best. The highest amount of success that makes you happy, and the most amount of happiness that you need in this lifetime.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

52686
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

33859
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

956574
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

181391
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments