Dear Emmaleigh, 

Over the past four years you have grown significantly as a person and it shows a lot about your character. Walking into freshman year you were a frightened and shy 14 year old that wasn’t sure what to expect from high school. It's safe to say that now you have definitely grown out of that phase. You are no longer timid and shy walking through the halls. You have now learned that people's opinions do not matter and you just have to live life the way you want to regardless of what others think. The experiences that have gotten you where you are are the reason you are who you are. You also have learned that not every single person in this world is going to like you. As you grow through experience you figure out who the people are that make you feel good and who lift you up and the people that don’t. Those good ones are the people that you will hang onto forever. You are now in your second semester of senior year thinking, “Where did all the time go?” That thought could mean several different things to you. Does it mean that there are things that you wish you had done but didn’t? Does it mean you lived it up to the best of your ability? Or are you confused on what it actually does mean? You are sitting here thinking the third choice of what does it actually mean? Maybe a little bit of both? Who really knows? The answer is different for everyone because everyone lives completely different lives which is something that you have also learned. You are no longer a believer that the world solely revolves around you and that everyone has their own struggles. 

As your highschool years come to a close, the takeaways from this four year rollercoaster are very significant to your growth in the future as well. As you continue your life beyond this small isolated town you will always remember that your success is not defined by how good you are at something but rather how passionate you are about it. Passion is the key to success. Passion defines your character. Your passion shapes you to be who you are. Never forget that. 

Sincerely, 

Emmaleigh