What are your plans for after high school? How do you feel about graduating? Are you sad? Are you scared? Are you excited? All graduating/graduated seniors across the U.S. have been asked these questions too many times to count in the past few months. Before I answer these questions, though, I need to reflect on the past four years at Warren Township High School.
Freshman year was all about learning how to learn. My teachers created an environment that made this quite easy. I realized that I actually had to find ways to study, participate as much as possible in my classes, and, most importantly, ask my teachers for extra help when needed. Honors Biology was a huge wake up call. In terms of social life, I think I did okay: I went to most of the football games, was on the varsity swim team, and began to hangout with a few classmates that I had known from middle school. I was not, however, putting in the effort to branch out as much as I needed to. It did not help that I definitely lost some social skills from staying home during COVID.
Sophomore year was a big time for exploration: I tried new clubs, played in the powderpuff game, hung out with a few different crowds, and, like many sophomores I know, made some poor decisions that I had to learn from. That was also a “meh” year for classes in my experience, except Honors Chemistry; Mr. Cerauli made that class one of my favorites throughout my high school career. Anyway, during that time I was still rolling with the crowd and had not exactly figured out how to shape my identity.
Going to the Almond Campus Junior year felt like moving the same family to a new world. There was more freedom, less stairs, and better cafeteria food. The shift of maturity was also significant as there were a few less students in the building. Towards the end of that year, I began to narrow down my real friends and figured out who could make me the best person I could be. I did not put my full focus on what people thought of me, and became more comfortable as myself when I was around people whom I did not know super well. I was pretty much always close with my teachers, but to all of you upcoming Juniors out there, get on your teachers’ good side this year because they are going to be the ones writing your letters of recommendation for colleges.
Most people would say that Junior year is the toughest, but I could argue that senior year takes the cake on that. Academically, it was
okay; what made it hard was all of the college stuff. Between the Common Application, supplements, and scholarships, my life for nine months was essays essays essays. The year went well academically, and I loved all of my teachers; senioritis is definitely a thing. With that being said, it matters how you deal with it. At the beginning of the year, I made the BEST friends (finally), and we have hung out multiple times a week since homecoming. It is important to consistently make plans to look forward to. I am extremely grateful for them everyday because they really got me through the home stretch of high school.
Now, I am looking forward to the rest of summer before going to the University of Tennessee Knoxville to study Nursing. I am a little bit sad to leave my family and friends; I am scared to be in a new environment; and I am excited to explore that new environment, have a new found freedom, and meet people who have had very different experiences than me.
Thank you, Warren, for giving me all of the resources I needed to be successful.
My advice for high school students:
Make friends with your teachers and counselors.
Prepare for the ACT/SAT (yes, they matter).
Learn from your mistakes.
Participate in your classes.
Nothing is THAT serious.
Do not start drama.
Ask for help.
Take risks.
Say yes.
