Dear High School Senior,

After 18 years you've finally found yourself on the edge. You stand and stare with a mixture of fear and excitement as you teeter on the edge between your past and your future. You're here. You've made it — Senior year of high school.

If I had to guess, I'd put a lot of money on betting that your life seems like a tornado right now; and you're not really sure which direction you should turn. Should you be focusing on the fast approaching college application deadline? Where should you be applying? What about that senior english paper that you have due next week? Your friends want to get together Friday night, but your parents want to spend time with you too. You've suddenly realized how much you're going to miss them..

There are a lot of things that you have to deal with when you are about to leave the life you've always known behind. The three past years of high school went by with a blink of an eye and this year will be no different. You're dealing with a lot of "lasts" and even more "firsts"...last first home basketball game, first college interview, last time eating the cafeteria mystery meat, fist time getting an acceptance letter in the mail; the list goes on.

It's all incredibly overwhelming. There is so much going on; nothing about your future is certain — and that's scary. You've lived your entire life knowing that a new year brought a new set of classes with the same people and most likely many of the same teachers. Now, it feels like your staring into the darkness, nothing is guaranteed and you have no idea what the next few months of your life are going to bring. Every minute decision just seems, so important.

But you have to remind yourself that everything is going to be O.K. The best piece of advice that I received my senior year came from my father. He peered at me over the top of his glasses and told me, "Don't sweat the small stuff. Focus on what you think is most important. Everything will fall into place. You may not feel like it right now, but you are going to end up where you belong." And I think that this is a really important concept — You are going to end up where you belong.

I can speak from experience when I say that not everything is going to go your way. Not every university is going to recognize the extraordinary qualifications you have to offer; and chances are, you are going to receive a couple letters that leave you quite disappointed. But even after dealing with the stinging gut feeling that accompanies a rejection letter, I still landed exactly where I belong — and you will too.

However, despite all of the preparation and stress, it is essential to remember that living-in-the-moment is equally as crucial as preparing for your future. So take time to hang out with your parents, let them know that you love them (they're going to miss you more than you think), see your friends, and keep calm. Everything will fall into place, and you will land in the right place.

Finally, I will leave you with a quote from Isabella Lopez. “If you can’t believe in miracles, then believe in yourself. When you want something bad enough, let that drive push you to make it happen. Sometimes you’ll run into brick walls that are put there to test you. Find a way around them and stay focused on your dream. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

No matter where we go or what we do, there are challenges ahead of us. Just remember to meet these challenges straight on with your head held high and your heart wide open.

Sincerely,

A College Sophomore