To the Class of 2024, 

A long path through a road full of hurdles; one behind every curve, concealed by a soft fog, waiting to knock us off our path. Since the start of our lives we are encouraged to be curious, hungry for knowledge, full of expectations for a future that may seem far away and scary at the start, that moves closer to us every moment. Now we are facing that future, it is right in front of us and the only thing that we can do is face it, looking right into the eyes of a powerful creature. However, with or without a decision already made, we created this creature out of destiny, fate, and circumstance. We built this from nothing. Starting from pure sand and water, we built our own kingdom, making decisions based on priorities and situations that we once thought so important. We’ve tripped over our own steps, perfected our performances, and learned from the lessons that life gives us in the most unexpected moments.

When we walk away from this school on June 1st as, “adults”, we may be saying goodbye, but this school gave us something we will never lose. The ability to learn, achieve, and educate ourselves, will never abandon us. No matter how many years of studying there will be in the future, we never stop learning. Isn’t this the most graceful thing about humans? Our intellect does not have a defined end. Like the universe itself, there is no limit. Everything keeps going. Continuing to gain knowledge about people and the world around us is one of the most important things we can do.

Being human is a big responsibility, that we still don’t fully understand. Being the most intelligent beings on the planet, means taking care of what the nature left us. Being part of such a planet full of life and living things should be an honor. There is a planet right next to us, Venus, that used to be like Earth until everything changed and now that planet is a desert. I do hope that our generations take more care of the privileges that we are blessed with, paying attention to our actions. We are in a place full of hidden beauty, like a secret garden. That beauty and grace just needs to be found, under the roots of plants that have ben made sick by war and human greed.

Well, now there is not much left that I want to say. Most of us are going to be embarking on a new adventure in the next few months. Off to exotic places or just somewhere close to home but far enough away to feel like an adventure. I, myself will get ready for something completely new, however, I will always remember this little town. Hidden in a land of green trees, full of charismatic people and, like everywhere, some annoying individuals who will fade from my memory in time. It was a pleasure to be part of the 2024 year, and yes this is a goodbye, but don’t be too sad, maybe one day you’ll see me in a famous magazine.  

 Best wishes, 

Emily Chimienti