Letters to Versions of Myself

By Ready WA Storyteller Nahomi S. N.

Dear Freshman Self,

I know this year has been one of the hardest years of school for you. A lot of your motivation is gone, and most days it feels like you’re just trying to get through everything rather than actually enjoying it. Right now, it feels like things might stay this way forever. It feels like you are already behind everyone else.

This might sound repetitive, but coming from me, your future self, I promise you that things will get better.

You have so much potential, Nahomi. Do not doubt that for even a second. Right now, you cannot see it yet. All you see are the limits you have placed on yourself and the mistakes you think define you. But those limits are not real. You are still learning what you are capable of, and the truth is, you have barely begun to discover it.

In the future, you will experience things you cannot imagine right now. You will travel to places for educational opportunities. You will sit in rooms with leaders, educators, and policymakers talking about issues that affect students like you. You will speak up for people who feel like no one is listening. Most importantly, you will begin to understand that your voice matters.

There will be moments whenre you feel like you are not good enough or that you started too late. Freshman year will feel like a mistake you can never fix. But what you do not realize yet is that growth matters more than where you start. The work you put in later will matter. The perseverance you build during difficult moments will shape who you become.

Another thing you need to remember is why your parents came here. They did not sacrifice everything so you could doubt yourself. They came here to give you opportunities they never had. Every chance you take, every class you challenge yourself with, and every goal you pursue honors that sacrifice.

One day, you will start believing in yourself the same way they always have.

You will find mentors who guide you. You will find communities that support you. And you will begin to see that the path you thought was closed to you was never actually closed.

Right now, you are only seeing the struggle. But in the future, you will see the growth, the opportunities, and the purpose that came from it.

So take a deep breath. Keep going. And remember that the story you are writing right now is only the beginning.

With patience,

Your future self

Dear Future Self,

I know things might be stressful for you right now. Life probably feels overwhelming at times, and there may be moments when the pressure of everything you are responsible for feels heavy. But I hope that through all of it, you have continued pursuing the path you always dreamed of: working in law and government, fighting for the communities that shaped you. Wherever you ended up going to school, I hope it was a place where you felt challenged, supported, and proud of the work you were doing.

More than anything, I hope you are happy. Success is important, but happiness and purpose matter more. I hope you wake up every day knowing that the work you do has meaning, even if the change you create is small at first. Remember that impact does not always look dramatic. Sometimes the most important change happens quietly through conversations, policies, and the people you help along the way.

Never forget how much Walla Walla shaped you. That community gave you opportunities you never imagined having. The teachers, mentors, and organizations that believed in you helped build the confidence you needed to keep going. They celebrated your accomplishments and supported you during difficult moments. I hope that no matter how far life takes you, you always remember where you started and the people who helped you along the way.

If you have moved away, I hope you still find ways to give back. Maybe you return to speak to students, mentor first-generation students, or support programs that open doors for young people who once stood exactly where you did. Walla Walla will always be a part of your story.

I also hope you have continued fighting for the things you cared about when you were younger. The dream of becoming an elected official may have seemed big, maybe even unrealistic at times, but you believed in it for a reason. You wanted to prove that leadership could look different. You wanted to show that Latino voices belong in spaces where decisions are made.

I hope that wherever you are now, you are listening to people, learning from them, and advocating for policies that improve their lives. Representation matters, and your journey was never just about personal success. It was about proving that Latino excellence exists in every space, including government, law, and leadership.

There will always be people who doubt what you are capable of. There will be moments when systems feel impossible to change. When those moments come, remember why you started. Remember the students who felt invisible in classrooms, the families who needed someone to speak for them, and the community that believed in your potential.

Most importantly, never forget that your purpose has always been to make a difference. Whether that difference is small or large, every step forward matters. Continue pushing back against policies that harm communities and advocating for those that create opportunity.

If you ever feel lost, look back at where you began. Remember the dreams you carried and the people who believed in you before anyone else did.

Keep going. The work is worth it.

With hope,

Your past self