Have you ever just looked back at all the high school memories and just really thought about them? Don't get me wrong, a lot of the memories I look back on still make me smile to this day. But then there are the slim few that just make you cringe with regret and embarrassment. This letter is not only for me but for others who struggle with the same things I did, whether that means you still struggle or are currently going through your high school years.

From the moment I stepped on my college campus, I felt that stereotypical feeling of wanting to start fresh and never look back on high school memories ever again. I was finally about to hit my adult years; there was nothing that could stop me from moving forward and living my best life. But it was not an easy path to get to that point. My high school years taught me so much about who I was, and the type of person I wanted to be in the future.

Freshmen year was rough. I was the new "Fresh Meat" in the big pond and my bright school pride shirt and high ponytail were not hiding that fact from anyone. But this year taught me the type of student I wanted to be. I enjoyed getting good grades, the feeling of getting a test back with good scores was the best feeling I thought I could have. I wanted to continue this through college, knowing that the harder I worked, the further I would get in life. My good grades were important when picking a school and if I wanted to have more options on where I wanted to go, I had to keep the grades high.

Sophmore year taught me how to be more outgoing. May I mind you, it took me way longer than just a year to break from my shell of the shy innocent girl and actually have fun, but sophomore year is where I like to think this process started. I was more active in my favorite activities, such as my favorite drama club filled with all of my favorite people, and getting more invested in my favorite hobby of writing, that now has turned into my future career goal. After freshmen year of high school, you start to get more comfortable and ready to enjoy high school as much as you can. Some are different, and just want to get through school as fast as possible. But sophomore year was where I decided I didn't want to fly through school and wanted to enjoy every moment I got to spend with friends, family, and the happiest place on earth for me, the stage.

Junior year was rough, not just for me, but seemed to be rough for everyone around me. Friends were changing, personalities shifting. Everything I had gotten used to was different and almost foreign. But this is the year I learned one of the hardest lessons for anyone. The ones who deserve to be in your life, and the ones who are the hardest to let go. The feeling of losing friends is hard, especially if they were your friends for so long. But sometimes it's necessary to move on and is the only way you can keep moving forward in a positive way. Everyone enters your life for a reason, but it's your choice to decide who continues to be a part of it.

Then you come to senior year. Started off as any other senior wishes it to be. Full of fun, last moments, and making lasting memories with friends before you inevitably split for future plans. But things happen that you can't always plan for. You can try to plan out your entire life from the moment you start school to the day you die, but your plans can and probably will fall through. Nothing will ever go just the way you want them to, and that's okay. Because even when you think you have everything figured out, something happens and can sometimes make you learn something new about yourself. Something you might never have expected. Take the bad times in your life, and learn from them. I learned that the life I was headed for, wasn't what I wanted anymore, and it hadn't been for awhile. If my plans hadn't collapsed, I would have never known what I wanted and needed in order to be happy.

Never let bad people or bad events weigh you down. Take them and wear them like a badge of honor, because this was exactly how I became the person I am today. College has started to teach me many new things as well, and not a day goes by that I don't think about a bad memory or cringe-worthy time in high school. But I know that I wouldn't be the person I am today without them and that's a good thing.