Dear freshman year self,

We made it! Berko wasn’t kidding when he told you at Orientation that the next four years would fly by. The past four years at Redwood have taught you so much. 

You might be sitting in fourth period, anxious for the bell to ring so you can head out to the tables for lunch. You’re itching to make new friends from other middle schools, but you’re also intimidated. What you haven’t realized yet is that over the next four years, some of these people you’ve never spoken to will become some of your closest friends. (For any incoming freshman, branch out! Everyone is nervous about meeting new people, so take the initiative to start a conversation. You never know what will turn into a long-lasting friendship!)

Or you may be sitting in Mr. Butkevich’s social issues class, shaking out of fear of the presentation you’re about to give. Luckily for you, you’ve done plenty more since then. While it never got less nerve-racking, you eventually stopped texting Mom to call you out of class. (For any incoming freshman, I promise nobody cares as much as you think about your presentation skills. Nobody is judging you as much as you are of yourself.)

Four years from now, you’ll be looking back at your time spent here. You’ll realize those small moments you stressed about are barely memorable, and each little moment of connection and joy you had truly made the experience. So more than anything, enjoy it. Enjoy time with your parents, enjoy mid-week Bo-ridge sunsets with friends, enjoy the teachers who made an effort to support you and enjoy everything else in between. Make mistakes, learn from them and repeat. You might not believe it now, but every single hiccup over the next few years will give you more wisdom than cause you remorse. Lean into it all. 

Love,

Senior year self