Dear Future Amanda

Dear Future Amanda,

In this moment, you are weeks away from finishing your first year of law school. You are about to be a third of a lawyer. Just typing that is wild.

I would be lying if I said it hadn’t been a tough year. You started law school in the middle of a pandemic. You watched the world grapple with racial reckoning during a political shitstorm.

Driving down University Avenue in tears as you celebrated the official end of a hard, painful four years . . . I hope you remember that feeling for the rest of your life. The feeling that your voice does matter. The realization that no matter how dark it gets, there will be light again. And never forget that someone with hate in their heart needs compassion too. You do not know what other people are struggling with.

This past year you were a warrior. Starting to lose faith in what felt like a dying democratic system, you got involved and helped revive it. You got involved. You stood up. You spoke up. And you did it for yourself and for the thousands of people who couldn’t. Some of your faith in the world was lost, but your experiences illuminated areas of your future that will go on to be crucial parts of your story.

Increasing diversity and representation.

Opening the door for others.

Remembering where you came from and who helped get you there. 

Some losses were harder for you to handle. There were dark days that felt impossible to survive without parts of the world that had become an integral part of who you were (friends, sports, physical connection) but you did it. You redirected your energy and refocused your attitude. You started writing down your feelings, knowing that someday those reflections might help a whole lot of people. 

Despite all of the challenges and hardship this year presented you with, you were fearless in embracing the unknown.

You moved across the country by yourself, to a city you had only ever tread as a tourist, committed to making a life for yourself. No one knew you. There was no safety net. It was sink or swim, do or die.

But you thrived.

Next year, you are going to be the President of one club, while joining the board of another. You have made lots of friends and found your voice. 

The virtual setting required you to adapt. But instead of focusing on the negatives, you focused on what this new platform allowed you to do. You connected with executives from sports and entertainment corporations across the country. You attended national conferences you never would have had the ability to attend previously. You saved money on gas and you were able to study more. You often attended class in a blouse and athletic shorts, bringing a new meaning to the phrase, business on the top, party on the bottom.

In a life that moves at warp speed, you got the chance to return to the safety of home, finishing your last semester under your parents’ roof. It was tough at times and required sacrifice from all of you, but you did it. Never forget the things your parents gave up for you and always remember they are there for you. No. Matter. What. I know years from now you will look back at this time and realize how lucky you were to have that extra time with them. Plus, we both know much you have cherished the extra nights with Bentley James lol.

It wasn’t all good. You did miss out on the communal suffering that the first year provides, and you weren’t able to see your friends without an intentional effort on your part. You struggled to understand how everything fit together. To say you overcommitted on the supplement material would be an understatement. But these roadblocks forced you to prioritize things that were important, and taught you how to more efficiently manage your time. You have learned how to tolerate change, and while I won’t say you have completely conquered your fear of the unknown, I will say you have come a far ways from where you were 365 days ago.

If I instill one thing in you today, I hope it is this . . . be proud of who you have become this last year!

I know I am.

Do not let the pressures of today take away from the successes of yesterday.

You can do this.

Stay strong, be confident, and go forward knowing the Universe never gives us things we cannot handle. If you are facing a challenge, it is a necessary obstacle on your road to a better future. 

Remember your passion that brought you into this profession. Remember the little girl growing up in Kansas without a voice, a girl who often felt so invisible she almost vanished on multiple occasions.

Do it for her.

Remember your dream to go out into the world and become the person you needed growing up. The struggles you endured will not be in vain if you use them to build a better future.

Remember the strong woman you have had to become, on the tough road that has been your life. People might not understand you, and that’s ok. It is not for them to decide what is right for you. Look to your heart when you need guidance. Turn to those you trust and know that it will all be ok. Everything happens for a reason, and I am with you. 

The little girl that grew up loving Jayhawks basketball and turtles is rooting for you. The weirdo who spun around in her kitchen with intentions to change the world believes in you. And the woman who is writing this knows you have it in you to change the world. 

Do not forget who you are and do not let others tell you that that is not enough. Because it is. 

I’ll see you in the future!

Amanda

J.D. Candidate – Class of 2023