An Annual Letter to the Graduates of Frederick High School (2021)

In the chaos of moving from Los Angeles to Seattle, I stumbled across a box of photos. As I dug through them, I found a picture taken the night I graduated from high school. Staring at the image, it was intensely obvious that I had been crying. With my eyes held tight, I did my best to recall the conversation which led me to tears. Nineteen years in the rearview mirror, a rush of memories and emotion washed over me.

Graduation was bittersweet. I know I am not unique in that sentiment. Frederick, Oklahoma was all that I had ever known. My classmates had been friends and acquaintances since kindergarten. A cast of characters rotated in and out of our lives, but the core of my world remained intact.

Graduation would mean a fundamental shift for me. On one hand, in a few months, I would be at the University of Central Oklahoma beginning my freshman year of college. This would mean a new city, new friends, and new opportunities. On the other hand, time would force me to close the door to friendships and a community that had come to define me.

As I walked across the stage to accept my diploma, the reality of the moment struck me. Soon, the alphabetical calling of names would be finished. We would walk off this stage one final time. Never again would we all be in the same place again. In a…