As we write this letter to you, we look back at the “Dear Freshmen” letter that was written to us by the class of 2021. And let’s face it: none of us read that letter then. But we really wish we had listened to them, because what they said was true: these four years go by fast, faster than we would like.
Our first year of high school happened during COVID. We were back on campus, but masks were required.
Mr. Savage would hold a stick just to keep everyone six feet apart, and we used to have a literal gallon of hand sanitizer in all the classrooms; that felt like centuries ago.
Look at the people around you, and whether you like them or not, you will spend a very special four years with them, so you might as well become friends with them, you might as well try to like them.
Many of us met our best friends during the pandemic because we all had to be at the same place during lunch, and on one ordinary day, a casual conversation turned into what would now be four years of friendship.
It took a global pandemic for us to become close, and as weird as this sounds, we are all grateful for it.
When we were freshmen, we used to look up to the upperclassmen; we were jealous of their independence, of the close relationships they formed with all the teachers, and of what seemed like a sense of ease that they carried with them.
Looking back now that we’re finally in their shoes, we wish we had more time and we wish we could go back.
Our journey is coming to an end. Oh, how we wish to go back, to do things differently, to talk to the people we don’t know, to get involved earlier.
This is why we encourage you to try new things, especially when you still have the liberty and time.
Use this time to make mistakes, join different clubs, take interesting classes, join sports teams, and once you discover a passion, be true to yourself, follow it, let it guide you, and go as far as you possibly can.
This will make your life so much easier and happier; you will then get to spend the next four years doing what you love most and immersing yourself in that experience.
Some of our biggest regrets are that we discovered what we love way too late, and by the time we finally had a grasp of what we desire most, we were out of time.But would everything be perfect if you just do as you are told? The answer is, unfortunately, no. It feels irresponsible to just tell you that ‘things will work out for the best,’ that you will get into a college you like or love, that you will have straight As and that everything will be alright in the end.
The truth is, sometimes it does not work out, there will be plenty of disappointments, and some will hit harder than others, and the only thing you can do is simply accept it. You might hate junior year, like- really hate it, life will feel impossible at times since none of you will listen to us and take those four APs, and when you are frustrated and stressed, you will want everything to be over.
But once you get through everything, you will hope for just one more day of school, one more class, and one more look at this place because, by that time, Laguna will feel like home. Your journey is just beginning, and we wish you all the best of luck.
Love,
The Class of 2024
