Some are letting go of stress. Others are holding onto hope. As the new year begins, one question connects them all. What gives you hope in 2026?

For students and staff at Edison, the start of 2026 is more than a date change, it’s a moment of pause. After a demanding year filled with stress, burnout, and unforgettable moments, many are using this transition to reflect on what shaped them in 2025. Inspired by the The New York Times invitation to readers to reflect on hope for the new year, Edison students are taking time to check in with themselves. By sharing personal memories, messages to their past selves, and hopes for the future, the Edison school community reveals how reflection itself can become a source of hope.  

Part 1: Reflections 

2025 was a year of cheers and challenges, with many students hoping to leave behind the bad and go forward with the good. As the new year begins, whether you let someone go or found someone new, students hope to create new memories without forgetting the lingering lessons.  

Sophomore Teesha Patel reflected on how 2025 pushed her to reevaluate where she placed her time and energy.

“I feel like I need to start caring about myself and loving myself more than I do for someone else,” she shared. Her words highlight a realization many students reached after a year shaped by emotional growth and self-discovery. In the new year, that shift toward self-care and self-worth represents more than a goal, it’s the hope of learning from the past while choosing to move forward.

Along with the challenges, this past year was also full of accomplishments, and Edison hopes to grow and achieve even more in the new year. Reflecting on a major milestone, Zayn Malik shared, “A moment unforgettable to me was getting 10 certifications in 2025, and I put it off for so long because I was scared to fail.”

What began as self-doubt turned into a big lesson about pushing through and believing in himself. Going into the new year, Malik wants to keep challenging himself and take on new opportunities without letting fear get in the way.

Part 2: Looking into 2026

While reflection grounds students in the past, hope actively pushes them forward. For many at Edison, looking into 2026 isn’t about going through dramatic change, but about holding onto the people and lessons that carried them through the year before.

One student shared that their strongest source of hope comes from connection. “My friends and family give me hope for the new year,” Aylin Mahmoud, a senior, said. “The fact that we’re still so close and in contact–maybe not every day but we’re still there for each other. That’s what gives me hope.”

In a year with continuous uncertainty, maintaining those bonds has become a reminder that support doesn’t disappear with time or circumstance. 

Others may see the new year as a way to get new opportunities, even small ones.

“The new year is a time to, I guess, try new things,” Mr. Qiu, a PE Teacher reflected, “and as well as, just maybe do something different.” That desire to step outside routine reflects a broader mindset among students and peers, one that values growth over perfection and progress over pressure.

We hope this year brings opportunities to grow without repealing past mistakes, carrying lessons forward instead of forgetting them, and stepping into the new year with new people, environment, and goals. 

Thank you New York Times for the idea and initiative to check in with us all on the New Year!