Dear Senior Sarah,
I have one overall wish for you at this point in time: that you’re happy. I hope you’re happy in your major, happy in your friends, and happy in yourself. I hope you’ve cherished your time at Longwood, because it is all coming to a close.
I also want to thank you. I know not every day was easy, I know you didn’t always want to go to class, or write that paper, or go to that meeting. Still, grades have always been important, and I have no doubt that you’ve pushed through. Thank you for getting yourself to this point. Goodness knows sometimes sleeping seemed easier. However, your hard work is paying off.
For this letter, I’d like to look at each honors pillar in relation to your life at this point.
Scholarship. At the time when I am writing this letter, I am proud of my grades. Admittedly, I am stressed that I achieved just below a 4.0 GPA. However, I consistently remind myself that it is still a very good GPA. I hope you continue to strive for greatness in your academics. However, I also hope that you are not this level of stress. I hope you’ve come to learn that while grades are important, they are not everything. Not having a 4.0 does not make you any less of a good student. Still, though, over a 3.5 would be wonderful. Regardless, I hope academics still remain important to you, and you are looking forward to bringing a love of education to a whole new generation.
Community.I hope you have gotten more involved with Honors, more involved in Sigma and various other organizations. I hope you’ve found homes scattered across campus. I also hope your friends are still there. Hannah and Jace are my best friends, hands down. I have a strong support system of friends. I hope these people still remain in your life. I hope the names Hannah, Jace, Devin, Justin, Jamie, Rachel, Shannon, and Molly still mean something wonderful to you. I hope more names can be added to that list. I hope you are their shoulder to cry on, a reason they laugh or smile, and as loyal and as loving as you can be. I hope they are those things in return. Friendships have always been incredibly important to you, and I hope you still hold them dear. I hope you have taken more efforts to show how much you love each of these people. Although this is your last year in school with many of them, realize that you can still see them after graduation. These goodbyes won’t be forever.
Service. You have your community, now I hope you give back to it. I have truly discovered a love for service, which I hope you’ve continued to foster. Community service is incredibly rewarding, and I hope you still feel that way. I hope you have continued to help at FACES, Andy Taylor, and Robbie Page. I hope you’ve found new service opportunities that you love. I hope you’ve encouraged others to give back and find a love for it, too. Bring this into your future classroom [that isn’t so far in the future anymore]. Let your students experience how amazing it is to know one’s community through giving back. Show them that they can make a difference.
I hope all of my goals for you come true, but even if this ideal future isn’t fully there, that is okay. If you’re happy, I’m happy. Good luck out there in the world, you’re going to take it by storm. You’re a powerhouse, if you let yourself be one.
Sincerely,
Sarah Myroup
May 18, 2018