When I came to New Trier freshman year, I had no friends. By the end of the day, I had talked to more people than I ever had in my entire life. As high school went on, I became friends with some of the most wonderful people I have ever met. Yet, not many people I knew, including myself, branched out outside of their friend groups: until senior year. People are more outgoing, more willing to talk to classmates, more willing to reach out. Now, in May, I have met some of my closest friends, and it pains me to realize we could have had this all four years if we weren’t just so scared of embarrassing ourselves. The confidence I had that first day freshman year is something that hasn’t returned until now. The “what-does-it-matter” mentality is something I hope will stick with me as I go through my career, talking to whomever I want whenever I want; I just wish I kept it sooner. As my friends and I leave New Trier to pursue our lives, there’s a chance we won’t stay in contact forever, and that’s a fact I have come to accept. I just hope they know how much of an impact each and every one of them have had on me and the person I am today. To any underclassmen, I encourage you to reach out; to a friend you haven’t seen in a while, to a classmate, to someone you’ve always wanted to speak with. Don’t leave it for your senior year when you think nothing matters, because it does. Speaking with new people builds character, confidence, and who you are as a person. Not only that, it can bring a new friend into your life who may change who you are forever.