Will Cheng

Dear William two years ago,

I remember the moment you walked into the journalism class, two weeks late without any FOJ experience. You definitely did not know what you were doing. You were new to West and just wanted to have fun and meet new people. You certainly didn’t know how pivotal this decision was for you. So before you join, here are some tips.

First, don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. Throughout your journey in high school, you will face many challenges and opportunities. You will be tasked with big design projects. You will learn to cooperate with all sorts of people and how to be a leader. Do what you want to do, even if it may seem a little scary. You will work on projects that you will be very proud of during your time here. You will produce work that even you didn’t think you could achieve. Many people will tell you what to do, but believe in yourself, and don’t be afraid to do things your own way.

Second, don’t let setbacks define you. You will face a lot of failure over these next two years. It can be difficult to forgive yourself at times, but know that your failures do not make you a failure. Through these failures, you will grow and learn more about yourself and how you function as a person.

Lastly, enjoy your time. Writing this now, I realize these two years at West have passed really quickly, despite all that has happened. You will do so much good work, bad work and everything in between. You will talk to many people. You will have to learn to work with some, while others will become the friends you hold dearest in the near future. Looking back, you still have much to learn and a long way to go. But, you’re on a ride. Enjoy the ride!