A letter from Jun 01, 2026

Dear FutureMe, As you graduate high school in 48 hours, please take a moment to read the following message: It has been 4 years since you last wrote to your future self. As 4 years have passed, you have grown tremendously as not just a student, but as a person. I am tremendously proud of you for working not solely hard, but working right during your 4 years of high school. You were right to focus on the real world and not solely about what looks good for you during high school. You didn't focus on titles for school (NHS, STUCO President, Student Ambassador, Club or Activity Leadership) or on performance culture - rather, you focused on what would provide value to the real world, in the form of: - OSHA 10-Hour Certified - CompTIA ITF+ Certified - Microsoft Word and PowerPoint Certified - Cisco CCNA Credit - Certiport IT Specialist for Python - MyDoorifyMLS, DocuSign, ZipFormPlus Proficient You are probably one of the rarest high schoolers ever. Rather than focusing on external factors - parental pride, resume stacking, being well-rounded, or going to a 4-year university - you went down the smart path. You chose CTE courses over the Advanced Placement grind. You chose focusing on the real world rather than focusing on your college transcript. You let yourself take risks rather than try to maintain a perfect GPA or grades. You focused on what you liked rather than what others liked. But rarest of all? You didn't care about external factors. You didn't know about a GPA, class rank, National Honor Society, or Advanced Placement until 11th or 12th grade. Even rarer, you rejected social media's performance culture and had 0% FOMO; furthermore, you didn't install Canvas, Infinite Campus, or Test Mode Desmos on your phone. You might think you're doing something wrong, but in reality you did it right: you managed to set boundaries. And I mean REAL boundaries. You have not only focused on the real world, but you managed to help keep your attention span solid AND managed to set HARD boundaries. That is something that most people don't do. And I am truly impressed that you are internally focused on the academics and the activities that you do, rather than doing stuff to impress others. Remember this: focus on working right and focusing on the real world, NOT on what seems good to an audience. Once again, I am proud of you for working right rather than working hard. Keep doing the right stuff as you enter Wake Tech. Thank you, Progress Pradhan (Apex, North Carolina)