Even though everyone will try and stay in touch, I realize now that each of us must fulfill our destiny or our calling in life. Whether our fate has already been determined or we have a chance to walk down our own preferred path, we still must follow through with our dreams. We are lucky that we have the opportunity to choose what path we would like to pursue, and not having our fate already planned for us (or known) like Jesus had.

Take a second to understand what Jesus had to go through in His last hours. He knew years beforehand that He was to sacrifice Himself for the betterment of human kind. Now, I am not comparing my personal university decision to that of Jesus’ crucifixion, but rather comparing it as a destiny to fulfill which God has given me. If you think about it, Jesus could have backed out at any time, but He understood His responsibility and what needed to be done.

With that said, we can’t be afraid of what is to come and should seek to accomplish what God sets out for us. We must endure the stress that comes along and strive to overcome it successfully as He did.

I can almost guarantee that throughout these last few months,  graduating students all over the world have been stressing out over post-secondary applications or in awaiting their admission letters. It feels as though the entire world is resting on our shoulders. But this is so minuscule compared to Christ’s ultimate burden, the salvation of humankind. Jesus was prepared to take on His burden and planned ahead for the future so that His Word would continue to spread throughout the world.

Graduating students have had the added stress of applications and portfolios to worry about. All year, we are expected to give 100 per cent to absolutely everything we do. Through all this, we have to somehow gain an edge over the other competitors. After all that, we hope to God that everything works out for the best, trusting in our abilities. Jesus was preparing for a brighter future, and that’s what we’ve been doing all throughout high school.

With anything in life, you need to prepare for something or else you cannot succeed. If you don’t prepare for your final exams, you’re going to fail. It is quite simple. Throughout the four years of high school, our teachers have been preparing us so that we will be ready for our post-secondary lives. Preparing for the future is important in all aspects of life. But as students, we can only hope to reap the benefits of our dedication and hard work in school.

(Carafa, 18, is a Grade 12 student at St. Basil-the-Great College School in Toronto.)