The air is getting warmer, the days are getting longer and the farmers’ markets are opening up again. For kids in Lebo, this means the school year is coming to a close. It’s been two years since I graduated from Mt. Lebanon High School, and already my memories of signing yearbooks on that exciting final half day are tinged with nostalgia. The end of school energy was electric, inviting the summer weather and fresh start. 

However, I also remember the nerves and a little bit of grief, especially moving from one school to another. I wanted to not only write about my experiences as someone who spent every year of her pre-college schooling in the Mt. Lebanon School District, but also offer advice to anyone nervous about big changes, especially graduating fifth graders, eighth graders and seniors. 

On my last day of fifth grade I cried the whole walk home from Foster. I loved elementary school, loved the kind teachers and ample recess time. Going off to middle school seemed like a massive undertaking, like my childhood was vanishing in front of my eyes. (Obviously, with hindsight I recognize this wasn’t the case.) After I grieved elementary school, I developed an intense desire to plan and impress.

I spent weeks thinking about the perfect first-day-of-school outfit, sketching it out in a little pink notebook and hunting through clothing racks like this single ensemble would dictate my social standing indefinitely. Then, I decided I would read the complete works of William Shakespeare to impress all my new teachers. I barely made it through the first couple pages of The Tempest.

If you know a kid on their way to middle school, give them grace. They feel like it’s the biggest change in the world, because unless they’ve moved around a lot, it is.

At that point I’d spent all of my school years in one place, so learning to navigate different hallways and make new friends was intimidating to say the least. Luckily, things turned out well for me. I remember my sixth-grade teachers carefully easing us into new material, and as scary as the big, tall eighth graders seemed, I was never once steamrolled. Since the cafeteria could be intimidating at times, I ate in “quiet lunch” with my friends for a less overwhelming environment, which I’d recommend to anyone seeking a calmer option. Of course, it’s been six years since I was a student at Mellon Middle, so forgive me if any of my information is outdated.

Let it be known I am not advising you to avoid everything scary. Pushing myself out of my comfort zone paid off. I joined clubs like Lit Mag and Forensics, expanding my interests and prepping me for the wide variety of high school clubs. By the time eighth grade rolled around, I carved out my perfect little niche at Mellon, and was, once again, afraid to leave. One of my friends literally had to push me out the door. 

I thought middle school was a big change, but now it seemed like a pond compared to the ocean that was high school. In fact, there are still many close-friends stories in my Instagram archives lamenting my nerves and how dramatic it all felt. I quit orchestra and tried new electives like theatre, and for the first time college felt like a real thing in my future instead of a plot device in Gilmore Girls. 

If I could go back in time and tell myself anything, it would be that high school really wasn’t as overwhelming as I feared. I loved the expanded lunch options and the fancy new buildings. Perhaps best of all was the wide variety of electives and clubs offered. If you’re starting high school in the fall, don’t be afraid to move away from things you did in middle school. It doesn’t hurt to try something out, and the stakes involve a lot less tuition than college.

And on the subject of college: Don’t just do classes and clubs to look good for a university, do it because you love it. Sometimes I’d fall into that trap of achieving just for the sake of achieving and forgot to really enjoy my time. High school is not about getting perfect grades and leading every club and checking off every social box to comply with some TV-show idea of this time in your life. It’s about learning a little more about yourself every day. 

Now for some more concrete advice. I know that some of the Link Crew stuff and orientation might seem a little cringe, because everything seems cringe when you’re 14, but really try to keep an open mind. As someone who not only went through the orientation but ended up being a Link Leader, the high schoolers just want to help. No question is too silly, the tour around the school will be really helpful and the games are a great way to bond with new people in your homeroom. Do not skip out on walk-your-schedule-day! You’ll be glad you did it when you’re suddenly surrounded by students in a crowded hallway and totally turned around. Finally, wear comfortable shoes on your first day, especially if you’re like me and went from the dance studio to the sixth floor multiple days a week. 

Finally, to my seniors. I was you most recently. I vividly remember graduating, with all the mixed emotions. Part of me was excited for what my future held, and part of me couldn’t believe I was no longer a Lebo student.

My advice to you will be a little less specific, since colleges vary wildly, and you may not even be going to college at all. I can’t tell you what comes next — unless you’re going to Pitt. H2P. But I can tell you this. It probably will not be exactly what you’re expecting. You’ll change your mind a lot, about what you want to do, about who you are. For the first time, you’ll really be on your own. Don’t try to cling to the past, or you’ll miss out on the endless new opportunities in front of you. 

Despite the blurry future, just know that Lebo prepared you well for college. Have faith in the efforts of your teachers. I have found myself grateful many times over for the variety of topics I learned in high school and for the work ethic that I developed.  

No matter how old you are, summer is always a strange in-between time for students as one chapter closes and another opens. But you don’t need to be like younger Brynn, obsessively scanning the high school website for pictures or agonizing over her perfect new backpack color. Life is short. Go to the pool, join summer reading at the library and walk around Bird Park. Everything will be just fine.