Dear Carroll friends and community,

We’re nearing the end of our time together. I remember four years ago when the then-seniors were telling us how fast high school goes and to take advantage of our time here – we never believed them. We all thought we would be here forever. Forever is ending.

Now we are all starting to move on and we’re growing up. We’re not the same weird little 14 year olds we used to be. Back then we thought we knew everything there was to know about high school, about life. We thought we had the answers to everything. Four years later, here we are looking back on our former selves as we prepare to graduate and move on. Reminiscing on my former self makes me cringe. I’m sure it does for everyone because when you’re a freshman, you’re cringey. That’s just how it goes. Fast forward and we’re all grown up. We’re finding ourselves, who we want to be, and what we want to be. I can’t speak for everyone, but I can speak for myself when I say that I found myself in every way this past year. I know what I want to do with my life, career and otherwise. I’m grateful I was able to figure that part out because I know many people who still don’t know what they want to be after high school. Not only that, but there are still people in their 20s or 30s that don’t even know themselves and who they are. 

Before I close out my goodbye letter, I want to leave the underclassmen with some advice. As you go through the rest of your time here, make sure you stay true to yourself and don’t let others influence you. Now, if you grow through the years to find yourself, then that’s amazing. My point is don’t change just to fit in, it’s all superficial and won’t benefit you in the long run. Another thing, start respecting your teachers, they do so much more for you than you probably take the time to consider. Lastly, high school flies by so fast. Don’t let it slip from under your grasp like I did. On that note, goodbye high school, hello cosmetology school.

Danielle Essen