High school graduation season is among us. The current seniors are graduating, leaving a void for a whole new class of seniors to fill for the next year. They say your senior year of high school is one of the best years of your life. And while I don’t know if that is necessarily true all the time, I do know that my senior year is something I won’t soon forget. All the people and memories will be with me my entire life in a way my first three years of high school will never be.

So, junior class, now that you are seniors, there are a few things you should know. I’m sure you don’t need to be told, or maybe you do, but you are FINALLY at the top. The freshmen have nothing on you. The sophomores wish they were you and the juniors try to be like you. But no one can touch you. You have endured three years in the hell they call high school. You’ve been picked on. You’ve been alone. You’ve been fish bait. Now here you are.

You should be proud. I don’t think people realize how hard it can be to be in high school sometimes. Some people drop out. Some can’t do it. You? You did do it. You spent countless hours doing homework for a class you hated. You made friends, and you lost friends. You have had courage and demonstrated knowledge not all people have. Next May, just one short year from now, YOU will be the one walking across that stage in your cap and gown ready to receive your ticket out of here.

I don’t know where you will go after you graduate. Maybe you don’t even know. That’s why senior year is so great. Your classes are easy. You’ve probably already taken your SAT/ACT. Now all that’s left is a decision. It isn’t a small one. It isn’t an easy one. In fact, I think it is one of the hardest, biggest decisions you will ever make. Where will you go? What will you do? Who will you be?

Be ready for that question. What’s next? Everyone asks it. You have to explain pretty much every day what you want to do to at least one person. And not only do they want to know what you will be doing, but they want to know why. I can’t even count the number of times I was asked why I was moving from Iowa to Texas for college. Sometimes, I didn’t have a good answer to give.

That’s alright, too. You don’t need to know why. They don’t need to know why. All you need to know is that it feels right. You’ll wonder a lot if you are making the right decision and the true is, yes. Go to college. Go into the military. Go to Italy for a year. Just go. No matter what you do, what choice you end up making, it will be right if it feels right.

This year, take those risks. Do new things. Try something you never have. Make some new friends, then leave them and make some new ones. Because you can. This is your time. You have earned this year of your life. Enjoy it. I am proud of you and so is everyone else. You’ve done something amazing. Get ready to do more.