A Letter to My Younger Self
Mimi Tolston
Younger self,
Hello! I know you are nervous like everyone else who can’t sleep the night before R-day.
I know you have no clue what exactly you got yourself into, but I just want you to know that the next four years will be some of the best. Everyone says that but it’s true. There is something special about West Point whether it’s the instructors that care and email you on your birthday, or the amazing friendships you will develop over the years.
Time will pass quicker than you realize, so enjoy the views, the laughs, the tears, and the sweat.
The days are long, but the years are short.
Time will pass quicker than you realize, so enjoy the views, the laughs, the tears, and the sweat. Leaving this place seems like such a great thing, which it is, but you leave behind a lot of good memories and great people. Opportunities you wouldn’t have gotten from anywhere else and the cadet experience as a whole, but you leave with the West Point legacy and become a part of the Long Gray Line.
As my time to graduate nears, I reflect on who I have become and what I am leaving at the academy. I don’t think you will recognize me if we were to meet on the street. I have long hair, confidence, and a better understanding of what I offer the world. I’m a great friend and leader. I am an intellectual individual and I’m decent at writing, though I still cannot spell. I have an infectious smile and a nice demeanor that attracts amazing individuals.
I’m leaving my own legacy of excellence and people who look up to me and be empowered to achieve things they never thought they could. It may seem impossible to embody all these things as an 18-year-old about to become a new cadet at West Point but trust the process and keep your head held high because you can do it!
- Mimi Tolston, West Point Class of 2022