Emma Kim

Dear NAI,

The last few years have gone by quicker than I expected.  I feel like just yesterday I finished middle school, and I was nervous about coming to NAI.  Back then, the school seemed huge, confusing, and terrifying to me.

Now, after what only seems like a blink of the eye, it is almost done.  With only a couple of weeks left, I am now starting to feel reminiscent.  Not because I will miss the classwork and tests, but because I have so many memories here.

I know high school is not over yet, but it feels like the end of a chapter leaving NAI, marking being done with half of high school.  I wish my past self knew some of the things I do now. I wish I realized that grades were not everything. Yes, I should try my hardest, but not to the point of unnecessary stress.  I also wish that I had realized back at the beginning of freshman year that not everything will go perfectly. It is inevitable that bad things will happen, but what matters is how you react.  Most importantly, I wish I knew that being kind is always important because the people around you will not always be, but you can at least make sure that you positively impact someone’s day.

The last two years have had good and bad moments, but I know the ones I will remember are the ones where someone showed me random kindness.  School is tough already, but the people around you can make it so much better. The little things are easily what made my whole day better. Things as simple as a teacher giving out candy or joking around with my friend.  

I guess the last thing I would want to say is thank you.  There have been difficult moments in school, but I know I came out of them smarter.  Most importantly, thank you to the people who made coming to school easy and who were always kind.  I know I will definitely miss NAI.

So thank you, NAI.

Sincerely,

Emma Kim