By: Amy Calderon
Dear Incoming Senior,
Congratulations on making it to your last year of highschool, you did it! This is the year where you finally get to walk across that stage and get that diploma you’ve been waiting for. But before all of that, you still have much work to get done. This year will go by quickly and be very hectic but as someone who has already gone through all of this, I want to give you some advice to make your life easier.
I know this will resonate with some of you, so I will describe the type of student I was. I was the student who came to school, did her work, and didn’t care about anything else. I didn’t want to participate in school in any way and this is something I regret. Don’t just worry about striving academically but try to work on your social life as well. Join a club, sport, or volunteer in some way so you can make friends, learn new skills, and it can help you academically too so don’t worry. You can use these experiences to talk about in college essays, scholarships, and job interviews. So for those of you thinking you are wasting your time and don’t want to stay any longer after the bell rings, please reconsider, you won’t regret it. But you will regret it if you get to the end of your days here at Neuwirth with only a GPA and a worn out chromebook to remember your time here. Memories are made outside of class, don’t miss out.
Speaking of college, you will obviously be applying to colleges this year and deciding what you will be doing for the rest of your life, yay. Research colleges and find out what you are passionate about over the summer so you can be more prepared to get these college applications done once you get back, and if you get rejected from a college, it's not the end of the world, you can always transfer later on. Almost every senior gets at least one rejection letter but most don’t share it. I personally got rejected from UCLA, you’re not alone. It’s not that big of a deal and you will have other, great options.
Make sure to stay on top of your classes, I know it’s your last year but your grades matter. You don’t want to get your college admission revoked because you were messing around your senior year or possibly not even graduate from highschool, don’t let senioritis get to you. You also need to be passing to get to participate in all the exciting senior events towards the end of the year like grad night, prom, etc. And speaking of senior events, make sure to save up for all those activities - this year is an expensive one.
I hate to sound like your parents trying to get motivational on a random Tuesday night, but you only get one highschool experience so make the best out of it. After graduating, your life will consist of paying bills, working, and doing all those adult things so enjoy your senior year and good luck, you got this!
Sincerely,
Amy Calderon
Class of 2023