Dear Graduate,

Whether you are currently graduating high school, or from a secondary education institution- congratulations, you made it. It is a little unnerving, this transition period you are going through. Sometimes in the chaos of finishing finals and the desperateness to move onto the next step, the impact of this transition is underestimated. It is an end to an era of four years of your life. So when you suddenly feel scared of the unknown ahead, remember that the past four years that you have spent has prepared you for what comes next, whatever it may be.

While the ceremony may either feel like it drips by too slow, molasses out of the bottle, or like the quick passing of a car with only the wind as proof it happened, it will come. You are there for one reason, besides the photos your parents require. Walking up on the stage, you are there to accept your diploma. Frankly, that piece of paper is missing a few things. While you worked for years to earn that decorated sheet, it only says your name and the title of the degree you have received. There is no evidence of the scheduling difficulties, the battle of meeting requirements, or learning that you were not taking classes in the area you once thought was your strong suit or dream. Nowhere between the lines does it show the long nights you stayed awake, the friends you may have lost, or the heartbreak you faced. A diploma is too small to hold all of those congratulations.

Imagine that within the gold trim, there are invisible words. The words that commend you on all of your trials, the obstacles you overcame, and the bravery to change directions and keep going. Imagine the acknowledgement of the bonds you made, goals you achieved, and the risks you took to arrive where you are now- in a cap and gown, ready to walk across the stage. That piece of paper might not credit you for those things, but you know all you truly accomplished in your four years. All of those elements have added to your experience, and added to you. Know its worth.

There is a certain amount of anxiety as graduation approaches, and it comes in two varieties. Perhaps you are determined to get it over with and plow forward, or perhaps you are nervous for the ceremony to begin because it means you are truthfully leaving this experience behind. Either way, when you are sitting in that chair among your classmates, take the time to think. There is no folly in nostalgia of where you have been, appreciation of who is beside you, or contemplation of where you might be headed. In this transition, while it is an end to your time with those people, it is also a beginning. It is called graduation “commencement” after all, and there is much that is about to begin.

Good luck, and congratulations.