Dear Class of 2016,

Ignorance is truly bliss. At one point in my life, I was proud to be surrounded by such intelligent peers. Yes, we did not always agree on everything, but I actually believed at one point that most of the people in my class were capable of doing great things. I thought that everyone in the top of my class would most likely finish college. I thought that my class was different.

Now that I am a semester into college, I look around and I am scared. It is so hard watching people that I grew up with completely change who they are. It is difficult watching people who succeeded in high school struggle in college. It is hard to watch people who had such beautiful morals and values throw them away. Mostly, it is hard to watch people become victims to substances and other addictions.

It is hard to realize that I was ignorant to all of this. Maybe it is because I never paid attention, or maybe I turned my head the other way. I am not sure if I was in denial, but I feel so disappointed. I wish that people did not think that they need to be numb to be happy.

Class of 2016, look at what you are doing. I am sure that some of you are doing very well, and if you are, I would like to congratulate you. However, if you are unhappy with your life, think about what you are doing. Before you do something that might put you in danger, do not just think about your action's consequences on yourself. First, think about your family and friends. Would they be happy with what you are doing? Next, think about your future. What do you want to achieve? Is what you are doing anything greater than a temporary fix?

Please do not become controlled by peer pressure. I know that this sounds cliche, but real friends would not want you to do anything that would ruin you. Think about the effects of what you are doing in the long run. If you continue this behavior, will you still be happy later in life? Will you be alive?

I do not want for us to lose anyone, and this letter is the only way I feel that I can reach out to some of you. I know that a lot of you will not read this. I know that many of you will probably read the first paragraph and quit. But, if you make it this far, I just want for you to know that so many people want to watch you succeed, including myself. If you do not like the path that you are going down, pick another path. The beautiful thing about life is that we each have an endless amount of choices.

Class of 2016, we are all experiencing growing pains, but do not lose who you are in the process. We all experience different struggles, and we can overcome them together. Do not become victims to the world that we live in. Conquer it.

Sincerely,

Jasmine Kelley