Dear Class of 2018,

You've survived four years of high school and that's a huge accomplishment.

Think back to all those papers, projects and homework assignments you did. Think back to all those grades you received and the mix of feelings you had when you got a good grade or a bad grade.

And what if I told you that two years from now, you're not going to remember any of it?

Two years out of high school, I can still remember creating the entire anatomy of a fish with my bestie in Mr. Miller's science class. I remember watching The Great Gatsby in Mrs. Wohlt's class. I remember learning how to juggle in Mr. Edmonds' freshman English class and being the director of the Romeo and Juliet movie my class created. I remember writing letters to our future college selves in Mrs. Frisch's AP English class senior year.

But I don't remember any grades I received. I had my good grades and my bad grades, as does anyone. I couldn't even tell you what scores I received on my AP exams.

And I'm here to tell you that is what graduating high school is all about.

It's not about remembering everything you learned in class, such as every battle in US history or every bone in the body (unless you're studying that stuff in college, then you should remember it).

But it's about graduating with things that can't be taught: hard work, determination, perseverance and confidence.

You may not remember exact prompts or every question on the AP test or even the scores you got on those AP tests, but you will remember the hard work you put in, the determination you felt while studying and the accomplishment you felt after turning it in.

These are the things you will use. These are the things you will take with you into the future.

You're not graduating because you could memorize and recite the entire periodic table of elements or because you wrote a stellar essay on Shakespeare. You're graduating because you learned how to work hard. You learned how to persevere through the tough assignments and late nights. You learned how to be confident in your work.

Your success in high school was created by YOU.

When you receive your diploma, remember that not only does your diploma represent what you learned in your classes but it also represents your dedication, diligence, passion and commitment.

High school is hard. You should be proud of everything: all the classes you took, the clubs you were involved in, the sports you excelled in, the seemingly never-ending assignments and projects and exams you completed.

And as time goes by, it's normal and okay that what you learned in school and the grades you received slowly begin to slip away because you discovered what's most worthwhile.

Carry your hard work, determination, perseverance and confidence with you into the future and you'll be successful and unstoppable in all that you pursue.