Okay, so first, a couple of words of reflection: the Sophomore year was one filled with incredible learning experiences and so much personal growth.

Yes, many of us have experienced the highs and lows of the second year of high school, however, we wouldn’t trade that valuable time with our favorite teachers for anything in the world.

The moments spent in an open discussion with Shertzer, sharing an amused eye-contact with Pointer and swinging by Tidey’s room for an always-ready word of advice made this year not only one where we learned immensely and deeply, but also one where we were shown the true meaning of personal growth.

Coming into the 10th grade was so daunting yet exciting. It’s no longer that angsty freshman year where everyone is trying to find where they belong.

You’ve (hopefully) found your people who truly accept you and you’re just happily enjoying this blissful year before the torturous junior comes along. This is finally the time where you have a bit of wiggle room in your schedule and get to decide what you’re passionate about.

This is the time you should be enjoying. The monstrosity of college applications and SAT scores should be creeping up in your thoughts but it’s not something you need to be concerned about. Take this year to find what classes inspire you and what you’re passionate about instead of conforming to the role of a stressed and sleep-deprived teenager.

Everyone’s egos were inflated after surviving the freshmen year and we all walked through the campus with a naive swagger. When Freshmen graduate into Sophomores, it’s a big deal. You’ve moved up a step in the food chain— people around you will be getting their drivers licenses, dangling their keys in your face and bragging about their newfound freedom.

But it’s important to remember that you’re still not quite at the top yet, and frankly may never be. In life, there’s always someone who garners more respect or holds superiority than you. So, we will give you the advice that we had to tell ourselves a few months into the year— deflate your ego a little bit and just be the most authentic version of yourself. We are all still young and constantly trying to turn the clock forward.

Yet there’s this other part of us which wishes we were back in middle school with no responsibilities. Little do we know that, sooner than you may think, we will all be remembering these early high school years as the “easier days”.

Revel in your time not having excruciatingly hard classes, don’t push yourself to be the big man on campus with the millions of textbooks in hand and running on zero sleep.

You are still an underclassman and it’s crucial you recognize this— staying true to yourself and keeping focus is what will keep you on a steady path. This is the last year where you can really have fun, (hopefully) find yourself and enjoy your classes (even though you may find yourself wanting to zone out- refrain).

With that, we wish you good luck. With the terrifying tests from Shertzer, the intense homework from Santos and exhaustive essays with Hill you just might need it.

– Daisy and Phoebe