Grow as You Go

    When I try to recall what I have learned over the past four years, the first things I think of weren’t academic at all (to be fair, I can’t remember anything from half of my classes last year). Cliche, yes, but I have learned more from my experiences and the people I have met.

There’s so much I want to say, but I don’t know where to start, which brings me to the idea that you don’t always have to be totally prepared to begin something. Take Harkness discussions, for example - the most thrilling realizations were always thought of on the spot. And for essays, sometimes you just have to start writing to unravel more thoughts. Yes, a plan in most situations is a great thing to have, but so many times during high school, I held myself back from super cool experiences because I was afraid that since I didn’t initially have a plan, I would make a fool of myself, or I thought I wasn’t good enough to pursue the subject at hand. Once I realized this, I learned that in many situations, it’s alright to grow as I go, whether it regards academics, jobs, relationships, extracurriculars, or just personally.

Also, I would tell my freshman self to simply have fun in everything I do. School is undoubtedly stressful, but if I treated it like a game or challenge rather than an overwhelming burden, it would have alleviated some of that stress and kept me more motivated. Similarly, when I was doing things I typically enjoyed, but in a competition setting, I always thought more about the competition itself than what I was actually there to do, especially during tennis matches or singing performances. Sure, things may have been stressful, but it is a privilege that I could even be in various positions where I could feel that kind of pressure while doing what I love. So, I learned to try to have fun during even the most stressful moments of my life - it makes everything more enjoyable.

Finally, I would tell my future self to prioritize the right things - my academics for sure, but also other things that make me happy too. Although things may not always turn out how we want, we need to make the most of what we can do and control. Thanks to high school, I found activities that truly fulfill me, such as spending time with family and friends, teaching younger students, working in labs, playing tennis, and singing/songwriting. I hope to use that realization to do more of that as soon as possible in college so that I don’t miss out on things as much as I did in my first few high school years.

    I will always cherish the memories I made, the people I met, and the lessons I learned through high school. As bittersweet as it is to leave the place that held (and sometimes caused) my tears and created my laughter for the past four years, I am so excited to venture into the future, where many more exciting experiences await. And if you’re reading this, I hope you have a wonderful time doing whatever you set your heart out on after high school! You’re all amazing people who will do great things and have a wonderful life in front of you. :)

Perfect song to sum up the last paragraph - "For Good" from Wicked??https://open.spotify.com/track/3WkgLAd7jGX3sZikfkF0lU?si=623f10bb3ad54eee