by Franchetta Groves ’19 (Immaculata House)

Dear Seniors,

It’s crazy to think that four years have flown by and we’ll soon be embarking on the next chapter of life. For many of us we will be leaving friends who we have been apart of our lives for the majority of our childhood. Many of us have become closer over the past four years and formed friendships and a sense of community that can be hard to leave behind.

This time can bring many different emotions out of each of us. Some of us are itching for the walk across the stage where we receive our diploma; excited to take on this new journey. Some of us may feel anxious and apprehensive about leaving behind the place and community we have called home. Many of us have a mixture of both these emotions, as well as a thousand other thoughts racing through our minds and hearts.

My wish for you is to embrace these emotions, whatever they may be. If you find yourself ready to go, embrace that change and new journey. If you are stuck wishing for more time, hold your friends close and tell them how much you’ll miss them. Most importantly though I hope that you find the balance between these conflicting emotions. Embrace the bitter sweetness of it all and look back with gratitude of all the lessons your time at Trinity has given you.

In life many of us can walk on the defensive, keeping our hands and arms up. We walk through ready to stay guarded. Yet I hope and pray that you learn to walk with your palms open toward the sky. It can be vulnerable and frightening to walk into the world with our palms and hearts open toward the world. Yet this is how we grow. I hope you walk with your hands open to the world, not looking for handouts, but accepting every opportunity, blessing, lesson, and friendship this life will offer you.

There will be new challenges and heartache that each of us will face in this next chapter. I hope you allow these challenges to help each of you grow and become stronger. There will also be new opportunities and blessings to grow. I hope that you never take these opportunities for granted and you allow them to touch every aspect of your life; emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

Each day I hope you work hard, stay kind, and be honest. Allow yourself to embrace all your emotions and walk with your heart open towards the world. Grow each day, form genuine connections with others, and work hard to achieve all that this life will offer you. While many of us may grow apart there will always be a home for us here at Trinity and I hope that the life lessons you’ve learned inside and outside the classroom will guide you on this journey.

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to work alongside so many of my amazing peers as your co-editor of Trinity’s blog! Thank you to Ms. Walsh and Ms. Phelan, who without them, giving a voice to students would not be possible. Thank you to my co-editor Olivia Wyland who has embraced this new change in our schools newspaper with me and been one of my closest friends.Thank you to Trinity High School for giving me some of my fondest memories, closest friendships, and most valuable life lessons.

Franchetta Groves