From one Senior to Another

To All Seniors,

We have made it. It’s officially our last year of Y-conferences, whether you just go to KYA, or all the many offered throughout the year. This is still a community that we have created with each other, something I have treasured for the last 7 years. The bonds I have created with people from my school, and people I never would have met if I didn’t take the leap in sixth grade have been irreplaceable. Seeing people come back throughout the years, with new stories and old memories, has made the last 7 November’s some of the best months of my life. Through thick and thin, I have always known the Y will be here for me, and the conferences will always make me smile, even if I do always come home sick. The atmosphere, and community that the Y has worked so hard to create will always remind me of home. Every year, I get to come back to the one place where I know my voice will be heard, and my opinion genuinely matters. To me, there will never be anywhere else where I, and everyone else around me, can feel this amazing about their ability to make a change. I may be quiet, and I may not know most of the people here, but I will still always be able to call these people my familY. So, to all those seniors, remember that this is your last year, and you have been able to be part of something magical, maybe even life changing. You may never experience this again, but you will always have the memories. You will be able to take pride in the work you have done here over the past 2 days, or 7 years. This is your home, this is a place free of judgement, and you are a piece of that intricate puzzle. Even when you’ve graduated, and we are scattered around the country, remember your familY, and smile.

Yours truly (with tears in my eyes),

Sophie Edelen