Dear class of 2026, 

You probably do not know me, but that’s alright. My name is Leighton, I was a part of LHS’ class of 2022. There are a lot of things I wish I would have known my freshman year, so I am going to do what I can to give your class a head-start. 

1. Do your homework on time
   This is a basic one, but over recent months, I have realized that your class hasn’t really figured it out. Just do your homework on time. The majority of your classes will assign little to no homework at all. You will have a built in study hall, so use it wisely.
2. Get Involved
   The whole point of high school is to figure out who you are and what you enjoy. So, branch out, explore. Lincoln has dozens of clubs and extracurricular activities along with all of the different hands-on classes at CTE. 
3. Live
   With so much of our lives on screens, it is important to find ways to be present. I am not saying to not use technology but make sure your social life is more than just sending out snap streaks and tweeting. Buy an activities pass; it is the best $20 you can spend. You can go to any sporting event (except for the President’s Bowl and Playoff games). 
4. Find your Balance
   Balance your time, and figure out what it takes for you as an individual to turn in homework on time, get plenty of sleep and still have time to hang out with friends. It sounds like a large workload and at times it feels impossible, but once you figure out that balance, life gets a whole lot easier, so figure it out your freshman year before bigger things like working a job and the ACT come into play. 
5. A small group of close friends is better than a large group of acquaintances.
   Figure out your group of friends and stick with them. The majority of my friends now are friends that I made my freshman and sophomore years. It is a lot more comfortable and the friendships are a lot stronger when you find your group and stick with it.
6. Don’t expect to find your “high school sweetheart”
   Although it is possible, it is very unlikely that you will marry a person that you dated in high school. So, don’t make it a priority, most high schoolers are immature and most high school “relationships” are just about as serious as the middle school ones, except your parents don’t have to drive you around everywhere. The goal of high school is to figure yourself out, not to figure out the mouth of every girl in your grade.

High school is only as hard as you make it. Stick with your classes, get involved and be present. It is that simple. Good luck class of 2026. There will be days when you do not think you will graduate, but somehow in some twisted way, you will.

                                                           Signed,

                                                                   Leighton Feltman 

                                                                                    Class of 2022