It’s no shock to anyone that’s been in a school system for a while -- it’s graduation season. Flowers are blooming, birds are singing, and seniors are saying, “sayonara”! Even though they still have a semester left, most of the upperclassmen are already checking out. So, from one torch-passer to another, here’s my advice to you: you’re not special.

Hear it again. You’re not special. You’re not different. You’re no more important than any other person in the school. Your job right now, besides focusing on grades and getting ready for graduation, is to be kind. Be nice to the people who will be taking over for you. Teach them through patience how to do the processes you’ve been doing for years, and understand that it’s impossible for them to comprehend everything you know. You’ve had four years to figure it out; they’ve had four months and some change. Cut them some slack.

In addition to treating your younger counterparts with civility, you should also set the example for their behavior. It’s important that in these last few months of school, you be the epitome of respect towards the school staff and administration. Clean up your mess, and the mess of those around you. It’s super cheesy, but “ask not what your school can do for you, but what you can do for your school” is not a bad motto. If you see something you can help with, do it! If you don’t, all you have to do is ask someone in charge.

I can’t tell you the amount of times I’ve gone to visit my high school and seen faces smiling in my direction. I have letters sent to me about how I helped pick staples up off the floor, or inspired someone to try out for something they were nervous for. People are discovering their true selves for the first time, because of the impact my class and I made. However, we made a simple mistake: we didn't take the time to teach those after us how to succeed the way we did. Maybe it was haste, or maybe it was so natural to us we never considered it. But regardless, I wish we had taken the time to think about how the school would change with us gone.

I guess that's my final piece of advice: slow down. It's a bit different from my first piece of advice, but it's essential. Slow down and enjoy your last few months of high school. Slow down and enjoy the nuances and annoyances of dependent life. Slow down

Of course, a lot of this is dependent on your life. If your school, home life, and community provide ample opportunities to succeed. I'm a straight passing white girl from a middle-class school who had been put on the path to success from day one. But I'm hoping, if nothing else, that'll I reach the seniors at my school. The kids who can make a difference in their own way, the people I know I can impact because I was impacted.