Dear High School Deena,
To the person I was a year ago, you would never believe the year you are about to have. You will experience immense levels of stress, joy, fear, and excitement simultaneously, but that's okay. Trust me when I say that it will all be worth it. It seems like a lifetime ago that you were nervously stepping into Centreville for the first time, unsure of what the future held. I know that right now you have no idea what you want to do with your life, and to an extent you still have no idea but thank god you decided not to be an engineer because your new friend Jake Goldstein has about 3 exams a week and we don’t envy him. You will end up being a pioneer within the iSchool, being the first class who will graduate with your major. You’ll be led to that major because Dr. Daniel Greene is going to teach you the most interesting class of your life thus far, Designing Fair Systems. You visited him during office hours one time and proceeded to secure an incredibly strong connection. He is a professor you truly trust to give you advice in all aspects of life. For the first time in your life, you will have professors that not only understand your identity but represent it. Dr. Lo will walk into class on the first day proclaiming how he is a gay immigrant and it changes your life because you are finally seen by an institution. Asides from faculty, you have deepened relationships, made new ones, and realized which ones to let go of. I know that first semester you were worried about not making friends but second semester is where it all really comes together for you. The first semester is one of the hardest times you will ever experience because one bad person will try to break you down but you should be proud of yourself because you got through it and came out stronger, with the help of all of your new friends who you now consider family. Be thankful for your outgoing personality and inexplicable ability to speak to anyone because that is what gets you places. You just have to remember that no one cares about you as much as you think, so nothing can really be embarrassing. Eliminate shame and you succeed socially. Surprisingly, you missed your family. I know that was unexpected for you considering how you left your relationship with them but all of you get closer the moment you leave. You truly begin to understand the meaning of “ absence makes the heart grow fonder”. As you navigate through college, you will also experience the challenges of independence and self-motivation. You will learn the hard way that solidifying a time management system early on is crucial for success. You will even fail Calc 1, but that's okay because it will teach you how to study and hold yourself accountable. There were moments when you doubted your own abilities when you felt like you were in over your head. But in those moments, you learned to rely on your own strength and resilience. You learned the importance of self-care, taking breaks, and practicing mindfulness in order to stay grounded. Now you meditate every night and journal to calm down. Most importantly, you learned to be kind to yourself, to forgive yourself when you stumbled, and to keep moving forward with determination and grace. The amount of personal growth that occurs for you this year is stunningly beautiful. Be proud of yourself. You have come so far along in your journey to improve yourself and your relationships. In hindsight, freshman year was pretty good for you. So embrace the challenges and changes that lie ahead, and remember to trust yourself and those around you. You have a bright future ahead of you. Sincerely, College Deena