Dear Anagha S...

When you are older, I hope you will remember the fun times you had during your time as a sophomore in your school’s film class (NTV). In December 2025, your class participated in a 24 hour film festival and you made some of the best memories of your entire life. I remember the way the room buzzed with anticipation, as we waited to be assigned a song for our film, the film we had spent 2 weeks planning for in hopes that the song would align with the story we chose.

What makes this memory so meaningful isn’t just the film we created, but the people I created it with. I was able to bond with so many people–people I hadn’t talked to before– and had so much fun working with my classmates to create a beautiful short film that I will cherish forever. I was able to learn so much from the seniors I looked up to, knowing they would soon be gone. There was something bittersweet about that—like I was holding onto a moment I knew couldn’t last.

But with good memories also came pretty stressful and intense situations. Someone from our class dropped our case of expensive lenses that we were borrowing from our sponsor company, which set us back almost a full hour behind schedule. This rough patch obviously made everyone feel disappointed and defeated, but I will never forget how instead of letting that moment define us, we came together, lifting each other up, pushing through the stress and disappointment. That was the moment I realized how strong we were as a team.

Winning five awards at the end felt incredible, but honestly, that’s not what I want to remember most. I want to remember the feeling of late-night exhaustion, the shared determination, and the quiet understanding between all of us that we were part of something special. That experience matters to who I am today because it showed me the beauty of collaboration, the importance of resilience, and how some of the most meaningful moments in life come from working through challenges with people who care just as much as you do.

Sincerely,

Your Past Self