Normally, in a message like this, you would find clichés and empty sentiments. Maybe that’s what you want to read. If so, feel free to click back out of this page. If not, then give me a minute of your time to tell you all about what I wish I could have known going into middle school.
If my time in middle school solidified any one thing, it would be this. Teachers and advisors are here to help. Truly. And if they aren’t willing to, that is on them and not you. But that can’t excuse a lack of effort on your part. You are the only one in charge of what you can do, or say, or act like. You alone can take charge of where you want to go.
That leads me to my next point: think ahead. Although this is just the beginning of the middle, your choices now can make it easier (or harder) to get where you want to be. And if you don’t know, lean into the things you love. Spend your free time on your passions and the time you didn’t choose to spend doing your best at spending it. Basically, do your classwork the best you can and do what makes you happy in your free time.
My fourth and final point is this: make connections. And should you need to break them, break them gently. You might just find yourself in a very sticky situation if you make more enemies than you have friends.
I sincerely hope that you continue to have faith in yourself and what you can do. Have a great summer!
Evelyn Marks, 2025