Dear Class of 2017, 

Our ending starts now. (Actually, it began a few weeks ago for some of us with the start of practice, but that’s beside the point.) Tomorrow, we’ll have our last first day together. We will begin the year of lasts. 

If there’s one thing I’ve heard about senior year, it’s “enjoy it because it goes so fast”. Based on how quickly it feels to have come up on us, I believe that. For the past 12 years, we have spent at least seven hours a day together. Woah. That’s a lot of hours. Some of you have come + gone throughout that time, but we share a lot of memories that we will tell for many years to come. However, our days together are now numbered. Like most everyone, I am excited to soon begin a new chapter in life. Less than a year from now, a lot of us will be moving out + starting life on our own, whether that means college, a job, or whatever else is part of God’s plan for you. Our daily communication will soon come only through social media + text messages, for those who we decide to keep in touch with. If that doesn’t make you a little sad, you probably don’t have a heart. You may as well stop reading now, so I won't bore you. 

(For those of you that stuck around, thanks. I appreciate you. I’ll try my best to make it worth your time.)

Reality is, within this next year, a lot is going to change. For me, I’ll soon get hyped up during our last pregame pep talk (but hopefully not too soon, we want to see everyone during postseason!!!). I’ll sit in the locker room with seven others who just stepped off the volleyball court for the last time, maybe ever. I’ll take of my #9 Lady Dutch uniform for the final time. Then, we’ll cheer loudly for our football boys under the Friday night lights. We’ll walk out of the stadium + no longer be socially accepted into the student section. We will wait in line for way too long to take our last ever school picture + complain about the awkward angle our head had to be. We will be the ones lining up in front of the crowd + handing our moms a flower on senior night. During homecoming, it’ll be our grade leading the student body in all the school festivities. Before we know it, it’ll be all over. We’ll eventually unlock our locker to take out all our stuff + then close it, only for it to never be ours again. (Disclaimer: Anyone who knows me knows I don’t + never have used my locker. But I know some of you do!!) As we walk out of the doors for the last time as a student, it still won’t hit us. Later, we’ll stand with all 200 of our classmates + walk across the stage in our cap + gown. That will more than likely be the last time ever we are all in the same place at the same time. It will probably be the last time some of us see each other...ever. Then, we’ll start packing up our life. We will no longer live 10 minutes from all our best friends. We won’t have mom + dad cooking our meals anymore. Our Friday nights won’t be spent together around a campfire late at night. A lot is going to change. 

In nine short months, we will no longer be PHS seniors. Our title + our school will be passed on. The halls of our school won’t remember us, so now is our chance to make sure people do. As some might say, we are now on top of the food chain in the school district. If we want to make a lasting impact, here’s our last chance. There are a lot of eyes on us. We can either just keep doing what we’ve been doing, or we can go out with a bang. Let’s practice unity + community. We have this platform to lead by example. We can show kindness to everyone + throw love like candy. So, let’s do it. This year is both an ending + a beginning. I vote we make it a good one. 

Dear class of 2017, I will miss you. You have made my time here so memorable. I will hold so many of our memories very close to me forever. I can’t wait to spend one more year with you all. 

“There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” -C.S. Lewis 

So much love + blessings,

Hal