Dear Seniors,

What a historic year 2020 was and, of course, 2021 so far is proving to be no different. With everything (a pandemic, a presidential election, closed schools, stay-at-home orders, and a financial crisis) our society has been through in recent months, we are still here, doing everything in our power to persevere and achieve.

A new year is a time for reevaluating our personal goals, and we have a lot to look forward to in 2021. This year is so much more than just another semester of high school. We graduate this year. We embark on the endeavors we have spent so much time preparing for, and we, more or less, will begin our adult lives battled tested.

Nobody would have thought that we would complete our first semester of our senior year online, yet we did it. Distance learning for many, and myself included, is taking its educational and emotional tolls. I hope there is a safe time for everyone to return to campus at some point in second semester, but what if that doesn’t happen? I have fully prepared myself mentally to finish my senior year on Zoom, a tragic assumption, but, I fear, a realistic one.

I know it is incredibly easy to dwell on all of the activities and events we are missing out on, but pessimism will not solve any of those frustrations. Instead, I think about some of the new positive results to our new normal like sleeping in, learning new hobbies, having easy access to snacks in the kitchen, or logging on to Zoom in pajamas. While it is at times a struggle, finding the upside will definitely make the rest of our high school careers more enjoyable and memorable.

We overcame endless obstacles, challenges and changes in 2020. In the new year there is no doubt that many of those challenges will persist, but we should be proud of each other for having the courage to make it to where we are today.  I, for one, am giving major props to the entire senior class of 2021 for displaying such resiliency. It will serve us well in the future.