Dear Graduates

By: Khadija Nadeem
Age 13, Grade 8
Dear Graduates
To those of you who are graduating during these unprecedented times, I will not tell you to find the silver lining, I will not promise you everything will be okay because a global pandemic has robbed you of your graduation celebrations and has planted doubt in any plan you had for the future. Of course, previous generations have faced many a crisis that has derailed their plans; that of the Great Depression, World War 1 and 2, the threat of nuclear holocaust. Like those generations, you have the right to feel cheated. But like those generations, these events do not define you and your experiences. In the face of crisis, develop a different perspective. This is a scary time, and right now is when the world needs people to instill positivity in the hearts of the dejected. Instead of mourning the loss of your expected graduating year, smile at the thought of a different one. You have the ability to turn this situation around for yourself, and for everyone around you. Choose to be different. Choose to be better. Choose to be positive.