What is the meaning of high school? That’s a great question that I, unfortunately can’t really answer. Why? Because it’s different for everyone who goes through it.
I could give you the standard answer, “High school prepares you for the outside world by teaching skills that you can use in the future to make yourself appealing and get a job”, but that doesn’t really cover the breadth of what my time here has done for me.
When I came into the high school as a new freshman I was antisocial with a low self confidence in my ability to do anything involving people. I didn’t want to talk to anyone and I felt like I couldn’t make any meaningful connections that would last, nor reach out to anyone new.
High school, and especially the Knight Krier shoved me out of that hole that I was slowly burying myself in without me even realizing it at first. Being in the newspaper ment that I had to talk to people. It’s part of the job description, you can’t be a journalist and not talk to anyone, nothing would get done!
The first year, in the introduction class, I really met someone who would become one of my best friends. The class was small, just 7 or 8 of us, and once we started to partner up it was history from there. Just having someone there with me a small sliver of confidence to keep going, keep going for that next interview, that next photo.
As the years went on I got more and more confidant, more willing to talk to people and talk for myself. I’ve made at least a few more friends along the way! Going and doing things on my own that I couldn’t even dream of doing at the beginning.
On the public speaking side of it, it was model UN that did it for me. I had to give my speeches, stand in front of a crowd and not get tongue tied for my next word. I wasn’t the greatest at it at first — and I’m still not the best— but I’ve grown, which is what it’s all about in the end, isn’t it? Even if I won’t be the best that ever existed, I’m still the best version of myself, and to me that is the best thing I could have gotten.
I’ve also learned to let go of some of the perfectionism that’s plagued me since forever. The need to get everything perfect, even pushing things off because you feel like you couldn’t ever get it how you liked and the deadlines are what get the gears turning. Especially this year, I’ve learned that that kind of mentality isn’t really all that sustainable, it wasn’t good for my work and it most certainly wasn’t good for my health.Just like everything else, I’ve not been miraculously fixed of this problem, but I’ve grown and gotten better.
By now I bet you’re wondering, “Elizabeth, what does this mean? Why should I care about your rambling stories?”
That’s a very good point, dear reader. Why you should care is the takeaway of this whole thing, high school for me has been a place where I’ve been allowed to grow into the best version of myself that I could manage.
I was given the space to grow and make mistakes, and be pushed into trying new things that were completely out of my comfort zone. I think that everyone reading this should also allow themselves the amazing opportunity to grow. Not instantly, that’s unrealistic, but one step at a time. Every inch that I moved forward was still an inch in the right direction.
Those little wins that might not seem like much at the moment, take a second to appreciate them for what they are. If, like me, you spend that time thinking about all the things that you failed in the moment, you’ll never be able to live with the small moments.
Now, I ask myself, “What could I do better? AND What did I do that let me succeed, what was good?” That’s the mentality I want to leave with, and what I want to continue to have as I continue my journey to college.
