Going all the way back to 2020, I struggle to believe that it was four years ago that I was experiencing a global pandemic to begin my high school experience. I am awestruck by the transformation I have undergone in mind, body, and spirit, and the transformation of the world around me.
It is my hope that through this editorial, the advice I give will find its way to somebody in need, whether it’s an underclassman, a teacher, a parent, or a stranger.
Embrace the people who embrace you for who you are at heart. Going through life, let alone high school, is impossible without companionship. At certain points in your journey, you should rely on the simple but ever-important presence of the people who want to help you and the people who care for you. Be honest with who you spend your time with. Try to grow and lean into the current relationships you have built. I think of the calls with the friends who are just there to listen. I think of the post-practice meals with my teammates. I think of the times my friends and I simply walked around in a park, taking in the views.
Embrace the Magis. It wouldn’t be authentic if I didn’t throw in a Jesuit ideal in this sort of homily-like reflection. The Magis is all about seeking the greater, the more in our lives. At Prep, I have grown deeper in my faith and am ever grateful for the opportunities I have been provided to grow. I like to believe that embracing the Magis goes beyond embracing the more. It is about embracing what appears daunting, challenging, but necessary. Slowly but surely, I have come to understand that some of the best experiences of my life have come from being confident enough to try something new.
Embrace yourself. The world can be so chaotic that at times we fail to see how amazing we are amidst it all. My hope is that you will embrace the things that will get you up in the morning. Find time in your life to center yourself and to discern your feelings and thoughts. I think of the times I have felt stressed and overwhelmed. However, I also think of the times I spent doing the Examen before I slept and the times I poured my emotions into playing the piano, doing something that I truly loved. As you begin to understand yourself and embrace that, be grateful for it all. Be grateful for your family, your friends, your education, everything you have.
Words cannot describe how grateful I am to have grown at Seattle Prep. Without a doubt in my mind, I wouldn’t change a single day about my journey here. As I enter a new part of my life, that which is college, I will always embrace it all.
