Dear AHS Seniors,
I am writing to you in response to this chaotic and challenging time we are all facing right now. As we approach the beginning of the end of our high school journey, I find myself reflecting on the whirlwind of experiences we have gone through, the feelings we have collectively felt, and the countless memories we have all created over the past three years. The challenges we have faced, the uncertainties we have navigated, and the amount of resiliency we have developed as the AHS class of 2024 have truly been inspirational to me as well as our community.
The first quarter of this year was hectic, to say the least. While trying to plan our future at such a young age and simultaneously maintaining acceptable academic standings, we have all been so preoccupied it has been difficult to find the time needed to fully embrace our senior year. However, as this busy time is hopefully slowing down, we must pull ourselves out of the strong current of academics to soak up the last months of our high school experience. For many the strong river ahead may still be uncertain, but the collective spirit of our senior class can serve as the tongue of a river to follow and guide the way. Reach out to your classmates, share your experiences, and support those who may be facing their own unique struggles. We are a community and our strength lies in our ability to come together in times of need.
It seems like this part of the year will never come to an end, trust me I know. Regardless, it is important for us to discover different outlets and new interests to keep us – somewhat – sane. Balancing never-ending amounts of school work and college applications at the same time is not easy. But, spending every waking moment that you are not at school sitting in a dark room with glazed eyes glued to your computer is no way to live. It’s our senior year! Let’s make the most of it! Recently I completed an essay for college, exploring the value of simplicity. Living in an ambitious mountain town has developed a competitive environment, propelling us to engage in all possible opportunities. Although it is fun to participate in various activities all in a short period of time, it is also important to slow down in order to gain more enriching experiences.
In order to apply these concepts to our lives in and outside of school, we need to focus on our priorities. By prioritizing school work with a balanced mix of spending time outside or doing something that we love, we will be able to manage our time, reducing our daily stressors to a much more manageable level. Although these anxious times won’t completely diminish, making time to engage in something that you enjoy, or even just spending a couple of minutes outside in nature will allow for a more balanced lifestyle as we continue to navigate one of the most important times in our lives. Throughout the first and second quarters, I have been trying to say “yes” more to opportunities. I, along with the rest of you, only have a couple of short months left in high school, and I have found it so important to take up experiences that you normally would not participate in.
That’s a wrap on this one, seniors. I hope you have been inspired by some of these ideas to help you maintain your mental health during this overwhelming time. As we continue through our final year of high school, just promise me this. Go easy on yourself. Remember to breathe. And most importantly, remember to have fun. We are all doing our best and that is enough. Keep crushing it and in times of doubt, just think about how rewarding it is going to walk across that stage, the crowd cheering loudly, and finally receiving our diplomas. As we approach the end of 2023, we are about to enter OUR year. 2024 is about to be filled with so many smiles and exciting news as in this same year we will be graduating from high school and moving on to the next steps of our lives. The end of all of our hard work is so incredibly close. All of the blood, sweat, and of course, tears are finally going to pay off. I believe in all of you. Tips up and go class of 2024!