I do not consider myself a sage or the world’s most esteemed high school role model, but please bear with me as I attempt to condense my thoughts on these past four years into a few measly paragraphs. High school is nothing without the people and I believe we are irreparably changed by the people (students and teachers alike) who walk the halls of LT. I have been fortunate enough to forge friendships that I know will last a lifetime, but I know that many will be quick to dismiss high school and the baggage it has inevitably dragged alongside it for the past four years.

My challenge to the senior class is to not disregard the people you have met, the relationships you have built or the memories you have made all in order to carve space in your hearts and minds for the future. Cherish these people: whether it is a simple smile exchanged in a moment of classroom awkwardness in English with the friendly kid from across the room or scream-singing every single lyric of Childish Gambino’s “Bonfire” from the back of a car with your best friends on your drive home. Maybe you will struggle to remember your best friends’ names in 10 years, let alone the kid who smiled to you from across the room—or maybe you won’t. The fact of the matter is, while we may be considered legal adults, we are not grown up. Wisdom, maturity and truly growing up all come at a date much later than graduation.

I am not suggesting that we should all bask in the glory of our time at LT, because obviously we won a few days and lost most throughout our collective four years. But I am making a bold declaration of my own: don’t forget high school and better yet don’t forget the people. We have all made mistakes (myself included), but for every trip down a staircase and lost homework project there are moments that make it all worthwhile. Our community it what makes us one of the most unique high schools in the country and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

As the late, great F. Scott Fitzgerald said, “For what it’s worth: it’s never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing.” Our future opportunities are boundless and I wish you all the best of luck, but I implore you do not neglect your roots. Our high school years and the people we have surrounded ourselves with—whether we wanted to or not—have defined us all for better or worse and personally I know I will never forget these past four years.