I’ve met some of the smartest, kindest, funniest, most outstanding people I know through Dreyfoos, and I wish nothing but happy, successful lives for all of you. I’ll miss the energy that you all brought to school, whether it be in the halls, in class, or in City Place before or after school.

Thank you to everyone who has been kind to me at any point over the past four years. I’ve had my fair share of bad days, but the unfailing kindness of others has gotten me through what would have otherwise been some incredibly bleak times. Truly, even if it was a small gesture that you don't remember: thank you. Kindness is such a lovely virtue and I can only hope it does not go undervalued by any of us.

To Ms. Jahn: thank you for being my art mom!! Your understanding, generosity, and overall benevolence have helped me more than you could know. I’ll miss your class so much - you created such a welcoming environment to create in, and your advice to me (whether it be relating to art or life) has been among the most valuable I’ve ever received. Thank you for taking on each day with a smile, for being there for me when I’ve needed it most, and for brightening the day of anyone you interact with. You’ll probably get emails from me from time to time asking for updates on Evie (I miss the funny stories about her antics already) with pictures of Mouse attached.

To Ms. Ramos: thank you for always being there. Like, really, always. Not to oversimplify it, but you are (and always will be) the absolute coolest person ever. Your unfailing understanding, open-mindedness, and wisdom were instrumental in helping me through these last four years - I truly couldn’t have done it without you. Overall, I’m sorry that I wasn’t the best at 3D, and thank you for always being there to talk without judgement.

To all of the wonderful friends I’ve made: I love you all so much. Thank you for putting up with my Twilight obsession, my wannabe-HGTV renovation sessions, and my occasional spam posts about how much I love Mouse. You’re among the most kind, interesting, funny, smart, talented people I have the pleasure of knowing and I look up to you all so much.

Cheers!

Alexis Hunter

There’s not much I can offer in the way of advice without being entirely hypocritical. I’d love to be able to tell you to not procrastinate, to keep a schedule, and to smile through it all. However, as a chronic procrastinator who only keeps planners for the false sense of organization they provide and who cried at school at least every other day (as many teachers can confirm) throughout my four years, it just wouldn’t be fair of me to tell you to do as I say, not as I do.

For what little I’ve learned about life so far, all I know for sure is this: experience is the best teacher. Nothing some stranger a mere year older than you puts into a letter will change how you approach your own life. That being said . . .

Some general pieces of advice for very specific moods:

• If it all seems like this reality is Too Much, simply lie down on the sidewalk with your tongue against the concrete until the whole world dissolves like an uncoated pill in your mouth. Or talk to someone who won’t make fun of you for feeling that way.

• If you’re thinking about the day you’ll finally come face to face with whatever entity saw fit to let you exist in the universe and you’re worried that you won’t be able to justify the space you’ve filled, Stop. Remember to take it one day at a time. YOLO, as they (Zac Efron’s right hand) say.

• Not advice, just a fun fact*: court jesters are a primitive, extinct breed of clown

• If your devastation is unequivocally mind-numbing, it’s ok to watch HGTV and eat raw cookie dough with your pet in complete silence for 4.9 hours (nothing more, nothing less).

• If you don’t know what new music to listen to, try sea shanties! Just don’t put on your sea shanty playlist in a car. I’m no longer allowed to use the aux.

• If you're feeling existential and/or panicking, remember that even though they say that you are what you eat, ceramic garden gnomes with mosaic inlays probably don’t remember eating ceramic garden gnomes with mosaic inlays, so we can safely conclude that this proverbial saying is untrue. This should provide some solace for at least like, 3 minutes maybe.

• If you’re stressed about the future, remember that the world is held in the fists of people who like to break things, and that can’t be changed in a day, so it’s not worth giving in to crippling anxiety over.

In all seriousness, find a good friend. Personally, I didn’t find my best friend until well into high school (we’re not sure of the exact timeline of our friendship). I mention this because it’s absolutely necessary to have someone you can talk to about whatever, Whenever, Wherever (Shakira, 2001).

Don’t take this to mean that you should have a friend when you’re really in need of a therapist. Sometimes, you simply need to be able to call someone at 3 in the morning to share your excitement over the newly-scheduled release of Stephanie Meyer’s twelve-year-long-delayed book Midnight Sun.

Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help! Truly, there is no shame in asking for help when you need it.

And always remember to have a fine Wombat Wednesday. Wombats love Wednesdays.

-Alexis Hunter

* this “fact” is mere speculation on my part, but it’s fun to pretend it’s a fact