In less than two months it will be a year since graduation day, a day we never thought would come. It was the first day of the rest of our lives. The senioritis was so real and we were celebrating all our lasts.

Rewind to April 2015. Spring break, college acceptances, senior-night games, job offers, prom, caps and gowns, MEPS, senior dinners, spirit week, so much to get ready for, so much to be excited for. Did you ever stop for a moment and just realize that this was it?

High school was almost over. You were moving on to the big real world. Scary thought, wasn’t it?

Skip to graduation day.

Waking up at the crack of dawn, or jumping out of bed because you were up all night, it was game time. You put on your Sunday best and draped that robe over your shoulders and looked in the mirror, taking it all in.

Finally, you thought. When you pulled up to the school, it felt like the very first time, yet you were so glad it was the last.

Walking down the halls you look at everyone, people you were friends with for years, people you just met that year, and people you kind of wished you had the chance to talk to. Emotion was high but the excitement was definitely there.

Marching down that aisle was the best feeling in the world (even if it was 80-plus degrees outside). And when you got that diploma, the whole world was lifted off your shoulders.

That summer was the summer of life. Beach week, family vacation, jobs, world travel, it was the first summer as high school graduates and it was the weirdest/best feeling in the world knowing you didn’t have to go back to the same school in the fall.

And when it got close to the end of July, you realized life was actually happening. You and your friends were either getting full time jobs, packing for college, shipping out to boot camp and basic training, or preparing to travel. Adulthood came, and it hit you like a freight train.

August was the month of goodbyes. It was the last time friends were all together in one place. Your emotions were mixed with excitement and sadness. We were walking into the adult life, still kids.

Look where you’re at now, you’re still standing aren’t you? I bet in the last year you’ve had a lot of ups and downs. You might have cried once or twice.

But whether it was getting a bad grade on an exam, losing a loved one, struggling with bills, or just feeling overwhelmed by the amount of commitment you have, it’s okay! The best thing to do is to keep moving forward.

And for those whose plans did not work out how they expected, it’s okay! If you didn’t stay at your first choice college or decided your dream job was too hard, it’s okay!

There’s a reason for everything. Look at yourself in the mirror. You are a different person than the high school student you were a year ago. You have now experienced the reality and hardships of adulthood.

I am so proud of my class of 2015. You’re all doing great. Don’t give up and don’t let yourselves down.