Class of 2024:

Imagine this: it is May of 2024 and you find yourself at home reflecting back
about your time at Shawnee Mission East HS. You’re remembering those
timid first days as a freshman, not knowing what the future held for you
and, oh yeah - you were starting HS at home because you were living in the
historic COVID-19 Pandemic.

Today, we want you to write a letter to that person, the future YOU. You
are the only person who will read your letter. Make it a good one - you
will enjoy reading it, I promise. Consider this a letter of congratulations. You
did it! You made it through real challenges and you are about to be a HS
graduate, a new and proud member of the distinguished Lancer Alumni.

First, address the here and now. Remind yourself of just what life was like
back in the fall of 2020. What was school like? What does your “classroom”
look like? What are your hopes and dreams and plans? Who are your friends
and what do you all do for fun? How is life different? Be very specific. Maybe
you think you will remember all of this, but someday it may be hard to
believe that you wore a mask everywhere you went and NBA players lived in
a bubble and played in front of fake/videoed in fans!

Second, tell the story of your success. What did you do to be so awesome?
Be as specific as possible. What steps did you take? How did you handle the
inevitable challenges in your path? What habits did you break, and which
new ones did you adopt? How did your outlook in life change? As you think
about walking across the stage at graduation, what are you most proud of
accomplishing? What surprised you most about HS? What were the best
things? The most challenging? What are your plans for next year? What
about in 5 years? How about 10?

Finally, tell yourself how starting HS in the middle of a worldwide pandemic

affected your path. Did it make a difference in how you prioritize your time,
in how you recognize and are grateful for things you may have taken for
granted before it happened? Did living through this unprecedented time
teach you about resilience? How will what you learned help you as you
embark on the next chapter of your life?
Closing postscript (PS): Tell yourself to do something in the last week of
senior year…

Print your essay/letter, sign it, and enclose it in a sealed envelope (be sure
to put your name on the front!). When we are back to in-person learning,
hand this to your Advisory teacher, and don’t worry, you will get it back ….
in the future!