Posting this one a little late- Congrats to the Class of 2025 Graduates!

My advice to young people setting out is to remember that your joy is your compass. Make time to prioritize yourself, and know yourself. Keep doing what you love, even if it’s on the side, and it will help you find the correct alignment in your life. If you ignore what brings you joy, you’ll become lost. There is no easy route, so pick your “hard”.

There will be pain. Whether you’re working out, or sitting on the couch- you’ll feel pain. Either from growing (pushing yourself) or from atrophy (not pushing yourself). Pain isn’t a bad thing though- just like hunger tells us we need to eat. Pain either tells us we are growing, or that something needs to change. Often the two go hand-in-hand. It gives us something to contrast with the feel-good moments, which become dull without contrast too.

I’ve felt at times that what we get after school isn’t what we were promised, many of us wind up in jobs that pay the bills rather than being paid for our passions. Those positions are also important, and we each fill our role in the ecosystem of our modern lives. By continuing to show up, even on our downer days, we can continue to work towards making our own lives better and the world as a whole. Never give up, and you can achieve anything- one step at a time. It’s ok if you don’t have a destination in mind. The journey is the destination. Learn to be happy with who you are, where you are, and what you are now.

Now I’m an artist, but I have worked part-time minimum wage jobs at points in my life. I didn’t stick with them for one reason or another- but I am glad I did them. I’m glad I was able to work everything from retail, to restaurants, to on a farm, to online tutoring. Each role I took on gave me more empathy for how much effort each takes.

Whatever your role, be authentic. The people who love you for who you are will flock to you, and the people who don’t will leave. Losing friends leaves new room for connection though. Making friends out of school is more difficult than in-school, but you also have more choice. You can find people based on interests instead of people who are simply in common circumstances (classes, clubs, etc.). Find groups with likeminded people, doing awesome stuff, and invite someone out for coffee. If the group doesn’t exist, start one. I’ve made some of my best friends these ways. And if you butt heads with someone, don’t let pride get in the way of a good apology. Life is too short to hold onto that stuff.

Good luck out there. The world you’re going into is one that none of us have ever known, and we’re all pioneers of this future. I can’t wait to see what beauty you’ll add to this world. Keep your head up, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. It’s ok to make a mess as long as you help clean it up, and learn from it. Each day is a new chance to be better than the day before.