Lucie Flagg

Dear NAI,

Today in English, Mr. Geibel taught my class a very valuable lesson. He told us that our personal heroes shouldn’t be our favorite singers or actors or even our parents or grandparents. Our personal heroes should be ourselves ten years from now.

At first, I wondered what my twenty six year old self would be like. Would I be my own hero? Or would I simply live to disappoint? I didn’t know what to say or do, except that I knew that I couldn’t predict or change the future. So, I looked back at my six year old self, walking the halls of Bradford Woods, and pondered the same question – Am I my own hero?

From a general, quick look at my life, I’d probably say no. I haven’t done anything grand, and the biggest achievement I’ve ever received is being nominated for “Outstanding Performance in Little Women” (thank you Mr. Kiggins and Mrs. Feliciani). But doesn’t happiness count for something? Not “Yay My Sister Just Turned Eighteen and Can Buy Me a Juul” happiness, but real, pure happiness. All of our lives, we’ve been taught that excellence is what leads to success and success is what leads to a happy life, but isn’t it the other way around? No amount of money can buy me what I love most in life – my family and my friends. So NAI, because of you, I change my answer: I am my own hero.

In the leading years before I entered NAI, my life was absolute mayhem. I tried so hard to fit in with all of the “cool girls” and spent hours at the mall trying to figure out what was hot in fashion. I studied way too much in school and stressed out over grades, until I’d end each evening in a crying fit. But now I’m (cringey word alert) chill. I realize that a B or even a C is not the end of the world. I don’t know how or why NAI taught me this lesson, but I’m glad it did. Better late than never, I suppose.

If only I had someone back then telling me that my grades didn’t matter. Because they don’t, right? I’m a reasonable girl with a stable noggin on my head, and I can guarantee you that I can have a good career without knowing that P₁V₁=P₂V₂ is Boyle’s Law. Do I need to know it now? Sure. Why? That’s beyond me.

My time here at NAI is soon coming to a close. I’d like to say that I’m sad, but in all honesty, I’m not. Because I know that I’m going to bigger and better places – not necessarily NASH, which has more bald principals than windows, but life in general. I know that I am going to have a wonderful life, and I hope you do too.

So thank you, NAI.

Stay happy,

Lucie Flagg