As another school year draws to a close, now is often a time when people look back and reflect on the events of the last nine months. Whether they be good or bad, it's normal to feel a rush of emotions: nostalgia, sadness, shock and maybe even a bit (or a lot) of regret. Regardless of how this past academic year turned out for you though, there is still one thing you can be happy and excited about: a fresh start next year.

Maybe you'll be living in a new place. Or maybe you'll get the opportunity to join a new club. Maybe you'll rush a social or professional fraternity/sorority. No matter what you choose to do, you get a clean slate and the chance to have a completely new experience. You'll be another year old and probably wiser, using our past mistakes and choices as lessons for our future decisions.

I recently attended a high school graduation and was in awe of how eager the graduates were to have such a fresh start in college. They were wide-eyed and shaking in their seats, so excited to close this chapter of their lives, proudly walking across the stage and grabbing their diploma. The ceremony's overall focus on turning a new leaf really got me thinking, especially about how anyone can have a new beginning at any point in their lives. Perhaps graduating or a new school year prompts that beginning, but it doesn't have to.

Why shouldn't we face every day like high school or college graduates, ready to jump start the rest of our lives? Ready for change and new experiences? After all, what better time than the present to start fresh. Why is there a need to wait for a certain date, such as New Year's Eve or the end of a school year, to really begin something?

As summer approaches and with a new school year on the horizon, another one behind us, I challenge you to look at every day as a new beginning. No one knows what the future holds but there is always time to start fresh and that time could be today. So seize the day today.

Here's to new beginnings.