Quality over Quantity by Kindra

Quality over Quantity by Kindra - December 2022 Scholarship Essay

The year of 2022 felt like one of the longest, yet also the slowest ones yet. I went through heartbreaks, had the highest highs, the lowest lows, the funnest nights of my life, and even the loneliest nights of my life. You could say I went through it all. But how could that be when it seems like I have not even started my life yet? I have found that these four years in high school actually end up being the most valuable years of my life. These are the years I not only learn the biggest life lessons, but where I find who I truly am, and become the person I want to be.
When I reminisce on the past year, there is one specific thing that sticks out to me. Friendships. Everybody knows that high school friendships never last. I had always thought that I would be the exception to that. I was wrong. I used to be a part of the so called ‘it’ girl group in my graduating class. We were all involved in the same sports, shared the same interests, and overall enjoyed each other’s company. That was until I started to see right through most of them. It was like I had finally found the right prescription to my glasses. I started to realize that without me making an effort towards these friendships, there was actually no friendship there at all. It was as if me being present did not make a difference to anybody at all. So I started to test this theory. I would purposely not go to a gathering they were having just to see who my real friends were, and who would notice that I was not there. Nonetheless, I heard radio silence.
I have always had this one really close best friend that I knew I could rely on. We had been close since freshman year. She has always had this mindset that I was so jealous of. She never cared what anyone thought of her, and never saw a problem with not being invited or having a ton of friends. She knew that it was not about how many friends you had or how many fun things you could do together, but it was about having a select few of solid people you know you can count on. Life should not be a competition on who can have the most interesting life. It should be about finding the people who want to be around you simply because you are you. No changing yourself to match others, and no fake smiles to show the world you are happy.
This friend of mine has had a tremendous impact on my life and I will forever be grateful for her. She has taught me that all you need in this short life is a couple good people to stick around through the tough times, so they can celebrate all the great accomplishments with you. She taught me that there is no point in holding a grudge against anyone, but to accept that person for who they are and move on. There is no changing someone who is truly genuine to themselves. Afterall, if they can change to fit you so easily, who’s to say they won’t expect the same from you?