Dear Freshman Self,

I just wanna say I’m beyond proud of you and all you’ve accomplished. The decisions you’ve made put us in the position we are today. The opportunities you’ve capitalized on granted your success. I’m amazed how you always remained calm and collected; instead of stressing on whether or not you were going to pass a test, you spent time studying. Surprising, I know. You always believed in yourself, never worrying about where you’ll end up or what you’re going to do with your life. You lived in the present, and I envy your innocence. You never feared growing up and are quick to embrace things. I’ll admit sometimes a grade or two made you feel uneasy about your college admission chances, but you were quick to recover, never spending too much time crying over spilled milk and working to correct your mistakes.

You’ll soon get to know people and share a lot of memories with those you call your friends. Your parents might not let you go out too much, but you’ll find a way to make it happen. You’ll be blessed with amazing people, some you might think you don’t deserve. You might lose a lot of people along the way, but that doesn’t worry you. You’ve never take anything too seriously, it’s a quality I greatly respect in you. I still remember your first day of high school, you almost left campus because you thought school was over. I never thought you were the brightest. One quality you possess that kept you going through high school was the ability to keep trucking on. You took a lot of AP classes, and I mean a lot, but you still manage to fit in extracurriculars, jumping around the different clubs and sports West High has to offer. I can honestly say you had a wonderful experience.

Track and field caused you to learn about yourself. You never saw the injury coming that ended that career but you were never one to give up. You carried on and switched pace into waterpolo. Although that was short-lived, you created new bonds and found a new love for swimming. Although the pain of your hip hurt, you didn’t want to quit, never letting anything get in your way. If the Wolf Pack taught me anything, it was to be resilient and resourceful. As a freshman, you definitely wished you got more involved in the community, helping out with the homeless and making connections with powerful people. Regardless, you still ended up where you wanted to be, and I couldn’t be more proud.

Congratulations Ajaybir Heir! You accomplished your dreams. It took you a long time to figure out what you wanted to do with your life, but you’ve set your goals high and you’ve taken a step in the right direction, continuing your education at UC Santa Barbara. You’ve grown immensely since when you first stepped on campus, and you’ll continue to network and branch off in the near future. Thank you freshman Ajay for all the memories. I know you can’t hear me right now, but hey you’re gonna have some sleepless nights, but you’ve got a bright future ahead, good luck. Goodbye West High.