To all the parents, families, faculty and members of the Island community, thank you for attending the graduation of the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School senior class of 2015. It’s been a long 12 years to get to where we are today, and I think I can speak for all of us when I say we are ecstatic to have finally reached this pivotal moment.

I’ve watched as the anticipation built over these last few months, when whispers of college acceptances came rolling in, final performances were given, the last championship match was played, and those sitting before you began to contemplate their high school experience. The last four years held a lot for us. It was the first time we fell in love, and got our hearts broken. We discovered that the friends we made in middle school would change. We struggled to find who we are and hoped that by some desperate chance we would make it out of this mess alive.

Now look at us. They told me high school would go by fast, but I never knew how true this warning was. It seems like just moments ago that we walked into the high school terrified of the change, but eager to face the new challenges. Today we have the same expressions as we look towards beginning a first year again in whichever path we choose: the first year in college, in the workforce or as a world traveler.

Parents, I’d like to take a moment to thank you for everything you have done to get us here, and how you helped us to evolve into the young men and women we have become. You helped us with our homework, you attended every piano recital, dance class and sports game. You baked for our bake sales, chaperoned our class trips and drove us to sleepovers. You gave us space when we became teenagers, warned us to stay away from toxic friends and dates, and were always there when it turned out that all along, you were right. But you never said, “I told you so.”

You held on to the handles of our bicycles when we first learned how to ride them, and we begged you never to let go, because we were terrified of what would happen when we hit the ground. But now we need something different from you. We need you to run alongside us, and let go of the handles enough to show us that we are capable of pedaling by ourselves.

Once we’ve turned the tassel, we won’t magically understand all the mysteries of the universe, because we will still need guidance and we will still make mistakes. But now it is up to us to fix them. We can no longer be afraid of falling. Be there to support our aspirations. Let us trip and stumble along on our diverse paths just so we can learn to pick ourselves up again. Let us grow and mature and become proof that we can thrive. And let us prove to you, and to the rest of the world, that a few teenagers from a small Island have the ability to chase down and accomplish what they aspire to do.

Graduating class, as we move forward and our lives scatter in different directions we will be trying to create our own identities in a new world and to rediscover who we’ve become. As we go, remember these few things. Don’t be afraid of what the future holds. Take time to live in the moment and never look back with regret. Learn from your mistakes and use them to make yourself a better person. Do what you love—because it is important that you are happy with who you’ve become, and know that you lived your life on your own terms. Look back with fondness on the formative years you spent on this beautiful Island, and rejoice in the memories of homecoming football games and summers spent on postcard sandy beaches. Be thankful for everything this community has done to support us. But most importantly, when you see injustice in the world, step up to fight it. Fight for what you think is right, give back to your community, and be the change that this world needs.

This past Thanksgiving, I took part in the community project that collected, packaged and distributed Thanksgiving dinners to community members in need. When I arrived, I expected to see the boxes upon boxes of undistributed food waiting to be packaged, and the smiling faces of those being helped. What I didn’t expect was to see the entire Martha’s Vineyard football team coming together to help give back to our community.

This simple act of kindness on their part took only a few hours, but it created a powerful Thanksgiving memory for over 200 families that would last a million times longer. I bring this to your attention because I believe that every single graduating senior here today has the power to leave a positive impact on this world, no matter how small, and I’m confident that throughout the years, I will see this prediction come true.

For the last few years, I have had the privilege to be a part of the Relay for Life. This experience has been life changing. I saw the solidarity of our community as we banded together to walk for a cure for cancer. And as the sun set over the track, it was never dark. Instead, hundreds of lanterns burned brightly through the morning hours. And in one overwhelming night, I discovered the power of our community, and the good we are able to bring into the world. And I realized I was able to see a little bit of all of us in the flame. It was a glimmer of our passions, our hopes, our dreams and desires, and, most importantly, our ability to bring light into this world. The lanterns lit on May 30 refused to falter and burn out. We will do the same.

Graduating class, my parting words to you will be this: find a passion, ignite a lantern and don’t ever let it burn out. The world is out there, it’s waiting for us and it’s time to make change happen. When Dr. Seuss wrote my favorite childhood book, Oh, the Places You’ll Go! I doubt he intended it to be used as a compass for high school graduates attempting to navigate their futures. But nevertheless, the words that rang true flipping through those pages continue to do so. “So Congratulations! Today is your day! You’re off to great places, you’re off and away!”

Back then we were dreaming of the places Dr. Seuss illustrated for us. Now we will be illustrating our own.

Charlotte Potter is the class essayist of the class of 2015. She will attend Stonehill College in the fall.