Dear seniors,

Senior year is what every highschooler looks forward to. They know the end is near and they can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but it still seems so far away. Everyone tells seniors that their last year goes by in the blink of an eye, but nobody believes it until they actually live it.

First of all, a congrats is in order for those who have made it. All of those late night study sessions, worrying about grades and participating in the endless amounts of extracurriculars were worth it. You were able to persevere through the hardest of classes and make it through all of the drama that drove you crazy. As the countdown gets shorter, the excitement grows and the memories that have been made are in the past as you look forward to the new journey of college.

However, before everyone gets too excited about the future, don’t forget what is going to be left behind. You have gone to your last high school football game and tailgate, you have gone to your last high school dance and you will soon make the last walk from A wing to E wing. You will walk out of those doors that you first came in to on that first day of school one last time, and a wave of emotions will wash over you. Soon, in just a few short weeks, the senior class of 2017 will be walking across the stage to receive their diploma. Everyone will move their tassels from left to right, and will officially be a high school graduate.

At that moment, take a second. Look around and take it all in. Look at all of the people who stayed by your side those four long, stressful years. In a moment, you will all go your separate ways, leaving only with the memories you have made. You will leave your parents, your siblings and your childhood pets. You are about to leave your mom’s delicious home cooked meals, the comfort of only living five minutes from your best friends house and everything you have ever known.

The future will come soon enough, so seniors, take one last moment to remember what you will be leaving behind. You can’t get those moments back, so cherish them. As you all prepare for your new journey and many firsts, you are also coming up on your lasts, so embrace them.