No matter what stage of life you may be in when you read this, I want you to know that senior you is proud of you and all that you have done thus far and whatever you may have endured. I hope you have found a balance between going to classes, going out and having fun, meeting new people and making friends and or have a good core circle of friends. This letter serves as a time capsule in a sense but I hope it brings a smile to your face. 

I hope that you stay true to yourself, your values, and don’t lower your standards to make things easier. I hope you stay decently focused in school and are able to know when to ask for help vs struggling in silence. Please keep learning patients, I know it's hard for us but I hope we’ve gotten better at it. Always keep in mind that everything happens for a reason and that if someone leaves or something ends- then it wasn’t supposed to stay and that the event gives you something to learn from and look forward to in the future. It may hurt, or feel like it wasn’t supposed to happen but it was. Anything that is meant to be will find its way back to you and be improved if it has lost its way, but do not ever dismiss your feelings or your opinion or make yourself seem small- anything you say has purpose and deserves to be felt and heard by those who need it. All feelings are valid feelings, good or bad. I also know we get crap sometimes and get called “the blondest brunette” but don’t let it get to you- you are so smart and so gifted and I know you're doing your best and that’s all anyone can ask for. 

I hope by the time you're reading this that you have figured out a career path to go towards and are enjoying it. If you have switched majors or even colleges I wouldn’t be surprised but also I hope it was your decision and only yours and I hope the family supported you even if they gave you a hard time at first. I hope you get excited to go to work if you have a job and have nice coworkers. 

I don’t know though if we continued volleyball- that one I can’t use my crystal ball on. If we did continue playing Im glad, and I hope it still makes us happy but if somewhere in this new journey it no longer was part of the path we’re making for ourselves then I hope your at peace with that decision to no longer include it in our life and I hope you still have some form of an outlet and way to be active. If we did decide to continue, please be kind to our joints and bones and muscles because right now some days I feel like an 80 year old in a 18 year old’s body the way my legs and back sometimes hurt. Nonetheless I know it’s a sport we grew up with and are good at doing; so if you continue to play- play hard and with passion and remember that one bad practice doesn’t make you a bad player it just makes you human :) 

I have no way of predicting the future and no way of knowing if you switched career paths but I really really wish and hope that we stayed with something animal related- I hope future me got into the service animal class sophomore year and got to house a dog in the dorm, because currently I wish I was able to do that but wish even more for future me to get to be able to do it as well. I know though either way you're making our dreams a reality and I couldn't be more excited. I’ll catch up with you, whoever you become and wherever you are in a few years, and I can’t wait to see all that you have done for us. Stay safe, and stay knowledgeable. 

 Alexa W