The evening light doesn't last as long.

The calendar is starting to fill up.

There's a new rhythm in the air, an energy I know you feel.

To prepare to lean into that good and exciting rush,

I wanted to hold this one moment, right here,

In the quiet,

With you.

Before we look forward, I need you to set some things down.

The memory of a failure, the weight of an old worry.

Let them rest. They are not invited into this new year.

I promise you, I carry no expectation from last year, only hope for this one.

This is a clean slate. A fresh start.

A chance to find a new rhythm, a new approach,

and to walk into that first day as exactly the person you choose to be.

There is music that lives inside you.

Sometimes a melody, for you alone.

Sometimes to lend an ensemble, a brave and powerful thing.

Sometimes a quiet. A retreat. A rest.

There is strength in the considered quiet, in the thoughtful space between notes.

The work of a young man is to learn the power of his own song,

To stand large in the room and be the sound.

This movement of your life, this part of the song, is not about knowing the finale.

It's a time for discovery. A time to test and try and fail,

To learn what may light your fire for the incredible opus ahead.

There is a current you carry, a kind of super power.

It is an energy that can warm a whole room, or spark an accidental fire.

When you laugh, you invite the world in.

When you hurt, the world feels it, too.

Your gift is not the storm, but the choice of what to do with the rain.

You are more than you let yourself show.

The world needs you, don't hide.

Let that knowledge be your true north, the confidence

That lets you walk your own path.

Experiencing the world with a gentle heart, matters more than you realize.

You feel things deeply, which is not a weakness. It is your art.

In the worlds you design, you build the fastest, most incredible things.

That same brilliant mind is with you all the time.

I know the worries you carry. Set them down.

You are not behind. You are on your own beautiful path.

Your work is to show up, to try, and to be brave.

And that willing effort is everything.

Look at each other. See your brothers.

Out there, you will all face your own trials.

But in here, you can choose to be each other’s refuge.

Kindness isn't just the absence of a fight.

It is the active choice to be an ally. To listen.

The decision to offer grace when it is hard,

To be soft with each other because the world is not.

This is something I cannot build for you.

It is a sanctuary you must make for yourselves,

A brotherhood,

Which is like nothing else in this world. 

Go to school and learn with purpose.

Learn how this world works, and how you work within it.

The grades you earn will measure a moment in time;

But your character is the work of a lifetime.

And nothing will shape that work more

Than the people you choose to stand with.

The ones you choose to be with, and be like.

Choose friends who are not afraid of your light,

And who would never stop it from burning brighter.

The world has enough critics, enough voices that tear down.

It has enough pessimism. It has enough fear.

The work I wish for you is to amplify the good.

To be the one who looks for the helpers,

To speak with a voice of optimism and solutions,

And to bring a little more hope into every room you enter.

Be a force for what is right. The world is desperate for it.

In all things, I will only ever ask you for this:

Not perfection. Not a win. Just your best.

And you are the only one who truly knows that measure.

Look yourself in the eye, and ask the question, honestly:

“Did I try my very best?”

If the answer is a resounding yes, then you have succeeded,

Regardless of the outcome.

And if it is not, there is no shame in that.

There is only the chance to adjust, and try again.

This is my promise to all of you.

No matter what happens,

No matter the mistake, the failure, or the heartbreak,

At home, you’ll find solid ground.

You can always come here to find your footing.

I will ever be here with open arms and a listening ear.

You are a Jessen.

That name carries our story, our effort, our pride.

You represent our family, and I am so proud to have you do it.

So go into this year…

Sing your song. Be brave. 

Wield your power. Be kind. 

Let your gentle heart lead. Be you.