May is a wonderful time of the year. Everywhere you look there is color. New leaves stretch and unfold into vivid, verdant splendor before settling into more mature shades of summer green. Voluptuous lilac and apple blossom scented breezes are welcomed in through open windows, ushering out stale, dusty winter air. Everything seems alive and new and although the season is just beginning, I already don't want it to end.

May is also a time of celebration. For high school seniors it is an especially significant time of the year. Emotion takes the driver's seat. It becomes difficult to differentiate tears of joy from tears of sadness as one era ends and another begins. For seniors, it is the beginning of the rest of their lives.

It is also an exciting time for the Juniors. Finally, three years of hard work are about to pay off as they rise to claim their seats as the kings and queens of the school. No longer in the shadow of the upperclassmen, it is their time to be the leaders and the role models.

I remember my May well. I remember the feeling of heartache, anxiety, and electric, nervous excitement as I walked through the center of the quad in my cap and gown. Looking back on that moment I now realize that the emotional turmoil I felt at the time was something rare and wonderful. I felt alive with every fiber of my being.

To all of the 2013 graduates out there, CONGRATULATIONS and best of luck! Enjoy this time of celebration and look forward to the endless possibilities ahead of you.