For me, high school has been a journey to find myself. As a freshman, I did not know what I was going to do. In fact, I didn’t even know anything about what was going to happen in high school. I was in a new place and I wasn’t accustomed to life in high school. I remember my biggest challenge was finding new friends. I came to this school barely knowing anyone. I was fearful, but also excited and curious of what this new experience would be like, just like any other new high schooler would be.
I started out the first week trying to make friends in this completely different environment. Within the first week, I met many people who would become my closest friends, and we all started hanging out together during lunch. We seemed to click immediately and formed a great bond with each other. I was glad that I found friends but most importantly, I was glad that they accepted me for who I was.
As time went on, I decided to try out different activities. I joined the Cross Country team while also playing violin and helping my Boy Scout troop as well. There were many nights where I would not get home until eight and then I would have to do other tasks such as homework. I ended up realizing that I did not like some of the activities I was doing and decided I needed a change. I stopped participating in Cross Country and focused my attention elsewhere.
In my sophomore year I started participating in my school’s theater program. I felt it would be a fun experience and would be a fulfilling creative outlet for me. Prior to this, I had no exposure to acting. I learned to be a better actor and even bettered my singing skills in the musicals. I also started participating in choir. I learned a lot about controlling my breath and voice to sing better than I ever thought I could. I would never have found out that I had an interest in these arts if I didn’t go for it. I am glad I joined them and grew from them, even if I didn’t play as huge a role in them as others.
In my junior year I joined the sailing team. It was a small group of only four people but we practiced with other schools to get more experience. I had already known a small bit about sailing before joining, but as soon as I joined, I realized that it was way more technical than it seems. I had to learn how to position sails just right for the perfect amount of wind. I also had to be able to move around the boat in an instant in order to adapt to changing weather and wind direction. It was extremely exciting and I am disappointed that it had to be cancelled last year due to the pandemic.
I have done many things throughout my high school years. My interests have kept changing over the years and I have learned so much, but the greatest thing I learned in high school was that it’s important to try out new adventures. If you stay in your comfort zone and don’t try new challenges, how will you grow? I have gone through many obstacles and lessons and with each one I have learned to better myself and grow from each one. This year I have to prove to colleges that I am good enough for them to accept me. I am sure that even in college and further on in my life, I will have more challenges and obstacles to face and grow from. I can’t wait to see what they will be!