It is the last year of high school, and the Class of 2014 is turning its attention to the thought of leaving home. This seems to be a natural progression: parents have child, raise child, and help child with bumps and bruises; child seeks an education, graduates from high school, and prepares to go spread their wings and fly.

While the seniors get ready for graduation and develop fairly bad cases of senioritis, perhaps a less evident thought running through our minds is leaving home. After all, this community was the place we used to run around with friends, where we got sunburned chasing ants with sidewalk chalk, where we would sit for hours at a desk (occasionally wanting to rip our homework up). Soon, we are all going to be moving to our respective universities and colleges.

As graduating high-school students, we are all in love with the idea of having wild adventures.  But even before that, we have Summer 2014 to conquer. Many of us will be working or doing internships, or maybe we plan to travel or simply relax. Whatever the case is, every summer has its own story, and the summer before we leave for college should be one of our most memorable. So should we do something for ourselves, or perhaps something that would prepare us for college? After four years of high school, we are probably all tired of the internships and applications, the interviews and the studying. So this summer, I urge the seniors to do something that they want to do – whether it is travel, camp, or relax. The experiences you gain from doing something meaningful with your summer will nurture and prepare you for college. For example, this summer I plan to read as many books as I can. I want to relax by the pool with my books and melt into the pages under the sun. Then, when college starts in the fall, you will be ready and open to face new experiences and challenges. It is your summer; so do something meaningful. Make it a summer to remember.