Throughout  high school I have grown so much as a person, and while the process and experiences I have gone through have been rough, it has helped me find who I really am and what works and doesn’t work for me inside and outside of school. I’ve learned most importantly that we are always growing and learning throughout life. You will make mistakes, and rather than dwelling on those mistakes, it’s important that we learn from those experiences, good and bad. 

I remember my sophomore year being my most intense year of high school. I felt like I couldn’t find the motivation to get myself out of the terrible burnout from trying to be the perfect straight A student freshman year. I learned the most from sophomore year. I’ve learned most importantly that not everything has to be embarrassing, and you just have to try your personal best in life, and if that’s different from others’ best, that is more than okay because we all think and express ourselves in different ways and fighting against that is what will make your life miserable. I appreciate my sophomore year for many big lessons I have taken away such as that. I was able to process through the trauma of my sophomore year throughout my junior year and things have only gotten better since because I don’t feel the need to pretend to be someone I’m not. I don’t expect myself or others to ever be perfect because we aren’t supposed to be. 

I was so grateful when I joined the newspaper and was given the role of being a column editor. I love columns because they are the perfect mix of informing and personal writing. I did not only enjoy reading others’ column pieces but writing my own! I’ve used most of my newspaper experience working on my “awesome underrated” column series. 

Everyone in the newspaper class has been so supportive and welcoming. I’ve never felt rushed or judged, which is something that means so much to me as a student with a learning disability. Not only were the students welcoming but the teacher Sb! She is one of the most supportive and understanding teachers I have had throughout my high school experience. I feel like I’ve been able to grow so much through the support I have been given and I am so grateful for that.

Overall high school has had so many ups and downs. There are things I regret. and there are things I wish I could go back and experience 1000 times again. I am not the same person I was freshman, sophomore or junior year. and I am grateful for every version of myself because she brought me to where I am today.  It’s most important that we don’t dwell; we take what we have learned, and we take action towards growth. I will now walk out of high school and look back grateful because I have learned so much and have so many more new things to experience and learn.