Dear Freshmen,

Let's just start with this- 95% of your time is going to be spent in these halls, on these fields, in these classrooms, in that auditorium, in that lunchroom. If you're anything like me and love to get involved, then this is gonna be where you spend the majority of your time for the next four years. But don't be afraid, because you're going to love it.

I'm almost a junior in high school. That's insane. Sometimes I can't even believe that I am in high school. I know that some people pinpoint it as the worst times of their lives, or for others, just the same old boring BS, but for me, high school has come to so far be the best years of my life. I'm finding who I am, what I love, who I want to be, where I want to go, and who I want to be surrounded by.

I've gotten places that I would never have thought that I would, I work harder than I ever thought that I could, and I'm the best me that I could ever imagine myself to be. And I'm loving it.

I've realized that the world is so much more than just me. Just the things that I've come to know. I take risks now. I laugh a lot, I fall in love a lot, I try new things a lot, and I take more chances than I ever would have in the past. I'm learning to love myself more, and with that, the people around me more.

Sometimes, I pause and just take it all in. Like you know that saying, the one Ferris Bueller said. Life goes by pretty quickly. If you don't stop sometimes to look around, you're going to miss it. My life is so beautiful, and I know I get grouchy, stubborn, salty, extra, annoying, and upset. A lot. But at the end of the day, I really just could not be happier with my life. I'm so freaking blessed.

When they tell you that high school is the best four years of your life, they are not joking. It's the hugest learning experience. And maybe I'll be just as obsessed with college. In fact, I probably will, even more so obsessed. But, today, I'm in high school and I absolutely adore it.

Seriously, sometimes in gym class, as we're entering the gym doors after playing tennis in ninety-degree weather, and I hear the boys bickering or the girls giggling, I just smile to myself because I really love these people so much. I don't want this experience to end. Some people may call me crazy and overly happy, but like, I just love being young and these feelings and these choices I get to make every day and the fact that who I get to become is completely and entirely up to me. It's all about how hard I work, and how much I put into my work. The effort, the time, the passion.

There's going to be up days. There's going to be down days. Some days you're gonna play your worst, other days your best. Some days you're gonna struggle, fall, get injured, fail, lose a friend, have a family crisis. You're gonna lose yourself, the friend group that you emerged in might fall apart, you might lose your beloved family member and the whole world will end- or so it seems.

A lot is going to happen in these four years. It's all about what you do with yourself in these times of crisis that develops who you truly are.

At the end of the day, it's just high school. But also, well, it's the beginning of your life. You choose who you want to be. Varsity Athlete, D1 Bound. Valedictorian, Ivy League Bound. Musical Lead and Star Choir Singer, Broadway Bound. And you know, don't be afraid to try them all. Live fearlessly, with no regrets. If you put your best into every single thing that you do, good things are going to come your way.

Join and like everything. Because why not? Find your thing. It might take a while, but when something just makes you so genuinely, utterly happy, you'll get that feeling that the whole world is coming together, and you'll be one step closer to figuring out who you are.

Listen, high school is not easy, by any means. Whether you're an athlete, a musician, a straight-A student, both, or all. Some days you're going to be up until 2 am struggling to get your homework done because you had a varsity game at 4, JV had one that didn't finish til 6:00, and you had to cheer them on, you had choir rehearsal at 7, workouts at 5 am, and you still need to shower and eat dinner.

At the end of the day, your hard work is going to be so worthwhile and that is what matters.

High school is not just drama, relationships, breakups, parties, and waking up at 5 am to sit in "hell" all day. High school is so much more than that- it's people with passions unifying and coming together to get what they want, whether that be a championship dub or an A on a final. It's people finding things that they love to do that they may never have realized before. It's finding purpose, love, and passion in things and people.

It's not about who's most popular. Who'd voted Friendliest or Prom King- it's about doing what you love. Spend your time wisely- don't slack. You have four years to make it your all.

Make it amazing. Don't be fearful. Be confident. Life is what you make it. It may be tough, sometimes, but then again, so are you.

Your friend,

Taylor