Dear classmate,

There is a universal truth that we all have to face, whether we want to or not.  Everything eventually ends. As much as I’ve looked forward to this day, I’ve always disliked endings. The last day of summer, the final chapter of a great book, parting ways with a close friend; things like this have never been easy. But, endings are inevitable.

As we say goodbye to everything that was familiar, everything that was comfortable, I want to stay thank you for being my classmate. We finally did it! It only took about 14 years, but we’re finally done! Together we will receive our diplomas and say our goodbyes for the last time. So, before you sit down to hear the Valedictorian’s speech and walk the stage to receive your diploma, make sure that you take the time to appreciate the memories you made in those halls.

Thank your teachers and staff, because when you’re sitting down in your first college class, you will feel grateful for the work they made us do and all the ways they have prepared us for this last chapter.

Thank your friends. They’re the ones that got you through your first heartbreak and made sure that you were going to be okay. They stood up for you when you got yourself in a bad situation. They brought you coffee when you didn’t have time to get it yourself. They celebrated your good news and helped you through the bad. They made you laugh uncontrollably and created memories that you’ll hold on to forever. They made you who you are today.  

Finally, thank your family. They have given you endless support and love to get through all these years. As we end this chapter, I hope that you start to reminisce about things like our first pep rally and the dorky outfits we all wore freshman year. Laugh at how young we looked and stupid things we did that taught us the lessons we use today.

I hope you realize that these have shaped you into who you are. When we depart to destinations around the country in the fall, take the memories we have made as a class and go, but never forget where you came from. As Rahm Emanuel once said, “You will have failures in your life, but it is what you do during those valleys that will determine the heights of your peaks.”

Sincerely, your classmate,

Diana