Dear Class of 2021,

You’re here–you’re standing on two feet, prepared and capable of all that is ahead. Though this is not what you were promised–all of the senior highlights and ‘normalcy,’ the random adventures with friends and opportunities to explore, the traditional academic experience–you’ve made it.

Be proud of yourself, because that in itself is more of an accomplishment than any of us may have considered it to be.

This isn’t what we expected, but life is unexpected. This hasn’t been easy, but life isn’t easy. This hasn’t been fair or fulfilling, but sometimes life is anything but those things. The Class of 2021 has endured the unimaginable and continued to shine as brightly as we did as eager freshmen entering MHS for the first time.

New memories made have highlighted the persistence of our class, of our hope and continuity amid challenges, and our desire to withstand the storms that come our way. Needless to say, we have faced quite the storm this past year, but there’s always a rainbow to be found after the rain stops.

Seniors, your rainbow is here, glowing in the near distance. Maybe if you’re lucky enough, you’ll find some sort of pot of gold at the end–that’s the fun of it: having the chance to discover what will be next after all that you’ve done to succeed here. You’ve made it.

The long hours and years spent together have shaped who we are as a class, who we are in our community, and who we want to be to reflect on our time at Milford. It’s important to remember all of the triumphs of our diverse class, despite limitations to this year’s programs.

The Class of 2021 prospers in every aspect: in academics, in athletics, in the arts, and in career-focused pursuits, we make ourselves into the best we can be, and then we become better.

We’ve had to fight for this year–our year–to be the best it could be, and we won. Each day that you opened your laptop for virtual school, you won. Each day that you grudgingly walked into MHS, mask on and partition in hand, you won.

Each day you sacrificed your short-term desires of spending time with friends, getting COVID tests, or going into quarantine for peers’ safety, you won. You deserve to have pride in winning these battles, and accepting the challenge in order to get this far. You’ve made it.

This isn’t what you were anticipating, and for that I am sorry. I am sorry that there were times that life has felt like it was put on hold.

We missed out on a lot, but we also gained a lot. It’s completely normal to grieve all that was lost, but consider what came from the ever-evolving nature of the new ‘normal’ over this past year. It has strengthened our bonds, our unity, and our empathy for one another–it has made us better together, even when spending time apart.

I hope you have enjoyed your time at MHS and can reflect positively on all that has taken place during your time here. On graduation day, smile knowing that you’ve made it–we’ve made it–and that all you have done, felt, and learned here has made you who you are today.

The unknowns that you’ve experienced here are only the beginning.

There is more waiting for us–more people to meet, more growing to complete, more resilience to uphold, and more stories to be told. Our senior year may have been unconventional, but so is life–you’re ready, and you’ve made it.