It’s finally that time of year where we are all excited to be out of school. We’ve all got to love summer, no school we get to sleep in more, go out, not have to worry about homework. However, as you start getting older you start to worry more about school, because you may start taking graduation seriously. But having up and down is something that happens in life and should be normalized more when being talked about. It could be that you have personal problems and they may affect you emotionally, mentally, and physically to the point that it gets involved with school. But everyone has different high school experiences. I asked Alexa Leon, a senior here at Kearns High how her experience has been throughout high school and she said “It was a roller coaster. There were ups and downs throughout high school, but I managed to do it.”
Yes, school may be fun at times but there is always a point where we think we will not be able to graduate. Graduating high school is important to everyone in different ways. Whether you are doing it to make your parents proud, be an example for younger siblings, or to just prove everyone that didn’t believe in you or brought you down at some point. There is always that time when school starts to become stressful and we don’t think we will be able to graduate. And Alexa said “Jr year was the year that i second guessed myself about graduating. I was almost never in class and I was just doing all bad mentally, emotionally, and physically.” This right here may not be good but on the other hand is something that is so normal to happen. When you start to deal with mental health It will most likely affect how you do in school no matter how hard you try. It’s super hard to balance.
A really good way to help you do your best in school is to always try to see the good side of things. Unconditionally, try your best to keep a positive and set an push yourself to those goals you want to succeed. In this case Alexa said “ going on a trip to mexico by myself over the summer really healed me. The people around me and the environment helped me get myself together, without having to constantly get in trouble by my parents. When I came back from Mexico, I came with the mindset that I was gonna try my hardest Senior year and I was gonna do everything in me to graduate with my class.” We all have different ways to deal with our struggles or how to keep a positive mindset. A lot of people like to travel to reset or just simply clear their minds.
Although we may do all these things to help us get through school. Many have families that will bring them down and second guess themselves. This is not good in any way and is the last people you will least expect these actions from. Alexa talked about her experience regarding her family making her second guess herself. ”Since I was struggling a lot in my junior year in high school, my parents would constantly get calls, emails, and letters in the mail talking about how behind I was. my family at some point gave up on me and would tell me that I wasn’t going to graduate and I was going to get nowhere in life.” This is super normal in a lot of cultures where parents don’t really understand or bother to understand. It’s all part of life and eventually you will get a bit of control over certain things like this.
Eventually, this doesn’t only just affect school but it starts affecting you as a person and that is really important because it can possibly change the person you are. This is what Alexa has to say “I feel like problems at home started affecting me in junior high, but I feel like it got worse as the years went on and I feel like 11th grade was my breaking point.” When going through things for a long time there’s a point where it breaks or just goes over extent. That’s when it will probably make you realize a lot of things or change the way you see things.
After all the hard work and setting yourself to do your best and keep going. It will pay off, yes it is a process and everything. Alexa is now a senior and graduating this may of 2024 and this is what she has to say about graduating. “I feel like graduating is such a bittersweet moment. I’m happy but sad at the same time. it’s true when people tell you that your high school years fly by. I’m excited for what the future holds for me.” This proves that you can accomplish anything you set yourself too.
Alexa also has a piece of advice for those who may be in the same position or think they will not be able to graduate like her. This is the advice she has to give, “some advice i’d give someone that’s going through someone similar is, believe it when they say it gets better. Just give it time and everything is gonna fall into place. if you feel like your not graduating or aren’t on track, just let push yourself to keep going, it may seem impossible at the moment, but if you really put your mind into it, it’s definitely possible and even if you don’t graduate with your class, at least put an effort to graduate better late than never.” Advice is always helpful and should be taken into consideration. As well as things you learned in high school and will always have with you, And this is one thing Alexa is taking out of high school, “My high school experience taught me that at the end of the day, it’s just you against the world. Friends aren’t always going to be there when you need them and you can’t always count on family either.”
Taking this all into consideration is super important, because it shows how not everything is unicorns and rainbows. It’s ok to have ups and downs as long as you set yourself to your best. Don’t ever let others’ words or actions get to you and determine what you can and can not do. There is always good side to everything you are doing and trying to accomplish.
