Introducing a tradition that would soon become beloved, FUHS English teacher Leonardo Indelicato has provided a space for students to give their future-self advice.

When Indelicato taught freshman, he would give his students an assignment to write a letter to their future self, which he would later return to them at graduation.

The tradition is near to Indelicato’s heart, as he wrote a letter to himself in high school as well. “My highschool teacher Mrs. Hughs did it and I had her for freshman honors, so I told myself if I ever became a teacher I would do it too,” Indelicato said.  

Most students use the tradition as an opportunity to put items of sentimental value.

“I’ve seen kids put money in their letters and then have like a surprise. A couple years ago, I had a young lady who put a hundred dollar bill in her letter and then her senior year she’d completely forgotten about the hundred dollar bill and took all her friends out to lunch. It was kinda cute,” Indelicato said. “Some will put photograph messages to their friends, things they want to remember, favorite songs who their friends are their freshman year, words of advice their parents give them…”

Senior Alexander Vega remembers how he decided to place his grandmother’s wallet in his letter.

“[I put in] a Coach wallet that she used to use and she had given to me. I was 14 and I didn’t need a Coach wallet, so I put it in there. Once I’m an older person I can use this gift from my grandma,” Vega said.

Because Indelicato no longer teaches freshman-level English classes, the current freshman-level English teachers, Kristine Chung and Gia Hanley, have taken up the tradition to ensure that incoming students won’t miss out on this special opportunity.

“I thought it was a good way for students to recollect on their years in high school [by] writing a letter from the end of freshman year, and then seeing the freshman year perspective as a senior at the end of your high school career,” Mrs. Chung said. “I thought that was a nice big round circle to end high school.”