The High School Experience by Hannah

The High School Experience by Hannah - March 2019 Scholarship Essay

Being a college student reflecting back on my high school experience, high school taught me so many things. High school taught me a great deal about who I am and what I aspire to be. The amount of advice that I wish someone would have given me as a freshman is vast, but there is one piece of advice that stands out from all the rest. If I were to be giving a tour of my high school to an incoming freshman class, I would tell them to get involved and take risks.
Getting involved and taking risks is the advice I would give to this freshman class, because I wish someone would have encouraged me to do this. Coming into high school can be extremely intimidating, especially if it is a new school or place. Who will you meet and what will your high school experience be? I believe that high school is what you make it. Some things are out of your control, but how you respond to those things and what you do is your choice. You can choose to just breeze by high school or you can make it an amazing experience where you meet great people and have eye-opening experiences, that prepares you for the next chapter of your life.
How do you get involved? You get involved by taking opportunities that arise, getting involved in something your passionate about such as sports, book clubs, or leadership type positions in your school. Getting involved in simple things like this can open more opportunities and can help you to meet great people. Volunteering, helping others or getting a job somewhere is another great way to open up doors for more opportunities. High school is not just about sitting in a class room being lectured, it is an adventure and an experience. The more you step out and take risks the more you will enjoy it. Stepping out can be scary at first, but once you take that first step or sign up for a book club, try outs, volunteering, you are out! Out of your comfort zone. Stepping out is the hardest part, but once you do it's an experience you will either learn from or one that will be a positive memory.
Taking risks and getting involved makes the high school experience worth while. Putting the insecurities of what people might think of you or what if something goes wrong away, and stepping out is the best decision you will make in high school. Get involved, get others involved and make your high school experience a positive one. Through your risk taking you will learn more about who you are and the person you want to be. If a incoming freshman class takes this advance, they will be unstoppable and make a positive impact in our world.