If you’re like me, you can remember being a freshman on May 1. You were dropped off in front of the infamous double doors as a crowd of seniors surrounded the steps, wearing anything but Scout blue and gold. Smiling and laughing, they stood side-by-side, representing what would soon be their new normal.

You looked over at the leaders of your school, wondering if that day would ever come: college decision day.

A short three years later, it’s here. For many of us, decision day, the final day to commit to a college or university, is one of the most important days of high school.

Tomorrow seniors will excitedly throw on their new school’s T-shirt and walk around the hallways with their heads held high. All day they will embrace their future and say a little goodbye to their past.

The seniors stand outside the front lawn of the school taking pictures with their oldest friends, proudly looking around at what they’ve all accomplished. In this moment, no one thinks about an upcoming AP test, bad grade, or summer job. The only thing on your mind is you, your friends, and your exciting life ahead of you.

After three and a half years of stressing over grades, ACT scores, and extracurricular activities, seniors have a new load taken off our chests. We have finally reached our future and now have to act upon it.

Using our knowledge from our four years in Lake Forest, we will now disperse across the country with a clean slate. We say hello to our new home and simply keep widening our group of friends.

Decision day is not simply a day to celebrate college, however. Some seniors will take a gap year or find a job or join the military.  All of these accomplishments are worth embracing. There is not one path that we have to take to step into the future. The only path that matters is the one we carve out for ourselves.

I challenge the seniors to take a step back today and take in what is going on around you.  There is only one decision day and only 24 hours to be apart of it. 24 hours to show Lake Forest where you’re headed next.