Freshman year, one of the most intimidating years for students in high school, but the English department takes some of the pressure of students by making them write letters to their future selves.

Students write the letters freshman year and get them back senior year in their English classes. English teachers Shari Blevins and Patricia Conroy are the two most involved teachers in the senior letter process.

Blevins keeps all the senior letters in her room throughout the years and eventually helps distribute the letters.

“When I came to Bowie four years ago I got the job of being the, “Guardian of the letters,” in which I store and take care of the letters,” Blevins said. “The letter are stored up by my windows in storage bins for four years the letters are organized by class and when Ms. Conroy is ready I give her the bin of letters and she distributes them to the seniors.”

Senior Kandice Cox’s favorite part of the senior letters was getting the letter back and seeing how much she has changed over the years.

“My letter was crazy and was filled with just a bunch of weird stuff I had put in their,” Cox said. “It was just really funny to see the stuff I wrote like me saying “Your toe is broken right now and do you still have that crazy tie-dye lizard stuffed animal?,” just seeing funny stuff like that was the perfect way to unwind all of the stress piling up form senior year and has showed me that I have not matured at all since freshman year because I still have the lizard.”

Senior Angelica Saenz was going through many different events during the beginning of her freshman year and seeing those events made her look back those events and see what’s different now.

“The beginning of my freshman year was really scary for me and I remember going to English first period and remember my teacher saying to just write about your life,” Saenz said. “During the time of my senior letter I was going through many personal issues and just being able to vent in my letter made me feel really good, and now that I look back at it I feel better about myself and how have grown up and matured.”

For Cox she has gone through many life events since the beginning of her freshman year.

“The letter showed me that I can do something to change my life and make it better,” Cox said. “When I was in freshman year I would have never thought that my high schools years would have gone by so fast and these four years were just so much fun I made amazing friends,had influential teaches, and a great group of people to help guide me towards college.”

According to Blevins writing the letters is not just a grade in the grade book but should be a life lesson students should take away.

“I think the students get to see how mature they have become and I think they get to see how ready for the world they are,” Blevins said. “They get to see how mature they have become and I think they also get to see how ready for the world they are from all the stuff they’ve learned from high school and all the personal and academic growth they have achieved.”

The intent of the letters was hopefully met as seniors recalled their freshman selves in preparation of graduation.