Dear Bingham,

High school has been both a pain and a pleasure. Pain, because I’ve had to stretch myself a lot and lose a few habits. Pleasure, because I’ve enjoyed the people I met and the exploration I’ve been able to do. Above all, though, I’ve really loved being an editor for The Prospector. This makes me feel obligated to share some advice with all of you.

If I could have, I would have gladly joined the newspaper class sophomore year. Why? Because it’s made school fun and more productive for me. Because I got to know other people with similar interests as me, and those people make life a blast.

My advice for high school is both simple and common: pursue what you love. School becomes emotionally draining when you feel yourself engaging in things that you don’t care about. It’s draining when you feel like an outsider or an imposter. When you audition for things like newspaper, or you sign up for a class that interests you, you’re taking a gamble. Maybe that’s why we don’t actually do what we love — there’s a lot of risk. You’re betting that doing what you enjoy will make getting up in the morning easier, and you’re betting that it can help you in the future. I can say that it pays off.

What scares me is the number of students who are going through the motions without needing to. They find no purpose, and I admit that it’s hard to find what you’re passionate about at the chaotic ages of 15 and 16. But, I would ask that you at least take any chances that you are given. If you can try something out, do it.

I have never enjoyed homework more than when it is something I care about. I love to write, so taking creative writing and newspaper classes were both good decisions for me.

They say that hindsight is 20/20, and it’s really true. Don’t finish senior year with regrets! Trust your gut when it tells you to take a class. It makes life so much more fun.