No Fear at Fifteen by Allison

No Fear at Fifteen by Allison - April 2021 Scholarship Essay

Five years ago, I was fifteen years old. I was starting my sophomore year in high school and I wanted to experience my high school years to the fullest. I wanted to try different clubs , partake in different activities, and learn new things.
If I could give my fifteen year old self some advice, it would be to continue to search for opportunities to better myself and to live in the moment. I would advise my younger self to be unafraid and to live boldly.
I have never been one to worry too much about what other people think; I tend to move through life with my convictions as my guide, and I am ok with my opinion not being the popular one or my ideas and actions swaying from the norm. But that does not mean that I did not spend some of my high school career doubting myself or not taking risks. I think there can be a sense of safety or security in keeping one’s head down and going with the flow or being complacent. I would tell my 15 year old self to live loudly, to go boldly, and to sample all that life has to offer.
I would tell myself that fear is a stifling agent, and while there might be proper times and places for it, high school definitely shouldn’t be one of them. High school should be the place where fear cowers in the corner as young people walk with their heads held high, ready to take on the world. It should be a time in one’s life where one is open to new ideas, new friendships, and new experiences. I would tell myself then, as I tell myself today, that fear will hold you back, and that anything is possible when you let go of the what-if’s and you aim as high as you possibly can.