Apparently, there has been a rumor going around the entire country that what you do in high school does not mean a thing in college. Who started it? I would like to know. I would like to know because this statement is entirely and utterly false. I am confident in saying that everything that you did and everything you went through in high school affected who you are today and shaped the personality that is pushing you through the tough college curriculum.

I understand that not everyone has the greatest high school experience. I asked many of my friends about their time high school and they told me that they do not miss it. They wished they had never gone to high school there. Fortunately, they are happy with the college they are at, so they view their high school experience as ineffectual.

This fact truly saddens me and makes me reflect on my own time that ended less than a year ago. Frankly, I wish I could go back. I remember graduation being one of the most bittersweet moments of my life where I was leaving a secure and loving home I that had constructed and starting a new chapter in my life that is more of a spin-off than a sequel. It initially felt as though I was entering “The Emergence of Erik” rather than “Erik Part Two: The Reawakening.”

Then I thought some more. And thought. And thought. And thought. Finally, in the midst of my first semester in college I realizes: Who cares if it is a spin-off? Isn’t a spin-off an extension of the story just through a different perspective as a consequence of the original? Doesn’t the original story need to be there as a base in order for the new story to be told?

Because I believe this, I still lie sleepless in my bed reliving the pivotal moments of my high school career. I still hear the cheers of the crowd as I take a bow after one of my many performances. I still feel the excitement of seeing all three “Hobbit” movies during their midnight premieres with some of the best friends I could have ever asked for. I can still feel the smile cross my face as I cheered with the numerous outstanding individuals at the leadership seminar that changed my life forever. I still feel the tears rush down my face as I experienced the loss of a father and the acquisition of a new.

Even as I type these insignificant letters, which form the meaningful words my heart is trying to express, I cry and grin remembering the insurmountable impact my high school experience had on my personality, my drive, and my emotions.

Let me provide an example. I have been involved in music since I was 6 years old, when I was taught that the black and white keys on a piano can make organized sounds rather than haphazard bangs. In high school, my experience peaked. I was a part of countless musical groups both inside and outside the school. A few included the almost Broadway-quality musicals my high school put on, a quartet that sang the National Anthem at multiple venues including a Pennsylvania Education meeting, and every choir festival available from county to national level. I could not have done any of this without the unending support of my family, friends, and choir director, who advised me in my efforts, made me feel welcome and loved, and worked endlessly to give my peers and me these opportunities.

Through all of these ventures that took up most of my time during high school -- other than academics, of course -- I learned the invaluable lessons of determination, productivity, discipline, and having fun while you work. Without these lessons and the times I shared with so many incredible people, I would not be the person I am today. I would not be writing for you, I would not be at the fine institution I am enrolled in, nor would I have the emotional love for the world that I feel every passing moment.

I also hear that you rarely keep your high school friends as you progress through college. While it is true that contact with old friends does decline, it should never disappear. Those friends saw you at your worst, at your best, and all of the times in between. Some may have been there since you were children running through the playground letting imagination take over reality. Such a bond should not be so briskly thrown aside as if the people you meet in college -- however wonderful -- could replace the memories and love you shared with the individuals whom not long ago cheered as you crossed the stage and picked up the diploma that marked the end of a 12-year journey. True friends are forever and they should and can remain that way.

Life is an adventure. This is a common phrase that I hope my use of doesn’t make you think I am unoriginal. However, as I said before college is a spin-off that continues the story from a different perspective. High school is the first portion of the adventure and everyone who has graduated has begun the part where they write their own spin-off. This new perspective is the new you that formed during those four years in a building that you may have hated and with the people you may not have gotten along with. That is OK. It is over now. The new you that they helped shape can handle what is coming your way. If you loved the building and the people, fantastic. In either case, don’t you believe the times you went through during high school deserve a thank-you?

For those of you still in high school, make it an experience you can never forget no matter how hard you try to move on. Take every opportunity that comes your way. If none shine upon you, create your own light. While this takes a great amount of work, the benefits you reap formulate themselves into a concoction of improvements and memory. When you begin your own spin-off, miles of land or even sea separate you from your current friends and the opportunities you had are over and done, think back and reflect. They all shaped you. Without them, you may view the world with different eyes that have not seen the kindness, darkness, and beauty the world offers.

Am I dwelling in the past? Maybe. Yet, isn’t that the point of the past? To reflect and live in the moments that changed you for better or for worse? Don’t you need to dwell in the past to create the improved future you desire and deserve?

I am sorry if your high school experience was full of heartache or stress. I do hope that you had at least some fun. Working 24/7 does not always lead to a happy high school career, although it definitely leads to a successful one! I hope you made some time for enjoyment and mental rest where you can calm down, de-stress and re-energize. Hard work and fun should be synonymous. With both, you may be able to meet life-changing friends whom you would have never met unless you took that extra time to excel.

To my own friends from high school, I think about you each and every day. I cannot thank you enough for the memories I created with you and the chances you awarded me to be myself, which takes a lot of patience and understanding knowing my antics! I hope you are doing well in your spin-offs and writing your stories with the heart and mind of one who remembers his or her time in high school as a learning and growing experience full of unforgettable moments and incredible human beings.