I was a lot different than I am now.
I'm talking about my first year of high school (or any other year for that matter). Besides growing about a foot, having increasingly curlier hair, and figuring out how to talk to boys, I've climbed the mountain of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, reaching self actualization....aka I've figured out life a bit more.
When I went into high school, I was just a shy, quiet girl who had no idea what or who I liked. Yes, I said I was quiet (oh how times have changed). Being an underclassmen was hard and certainly involved me being tested in my beliefs and tested in my strength. However, as I began to find my niche in high school, I started to gain confidence. Truth be told being a theatre kid was probably the reason I started to break out of my shell.
Somewhere between junior and senior year I really began to turn into the person I am today. I stopped caring about what people thought of me. I stopped worrying about being the perfect student and I started focusing on being a better person. But like everything in life, it was a process. Senior year hit me hard and it brought a constant struggle of reminding myself that imperfections are okay.
Now, as I go ahead into the future, I am proud of all the amazing moments, the achievements, the friendships, the loss of friendships, the teachers, the accolades, the opportunities, the struggles I had to overcome, and so much more, that have molded me into the person I am today. I have no idea what life beyond high school looks like but I feel confident that I can carry the lessons I've learned no matter where I go. I am different now because I've finally realized that success in life isn't dependent on WHAT I do, but simply WHO I am, and where I invest my time and happiness.
So thank you Millbrook High School, IB, Friends, and Teachers for giving me four unforgettable years!
I love this. I talked about a lot of the same things in my blog and I think it's an amazing thing to be able to look back on the beginning of high school and see a huge change in yourself for the better. It's so neat that you acknowledged that the struggles you've gone through have made you who you are today. It's crazy to think that while we were dealing with the loss of friendships, the insane teachers, and the unbearable workload, we couldn't see how we would make it out and yet, here we are. Nathania, you're an awesome person and I'm so glad I got to know you better this year. I feel inspired by your constant joy and I know you're going to do great things in the future!!
ReplyDeleteNathania-
ReplyDeleteI've adored having you as a student this year. Best of luck during your gap-year, keep reading, and keep being the compassionate and passionate individual you are.