Think of your Future Family. by Lina

Think of your Future Family. by Lina - March 2019 Scholarship Essay

As a member of Students Involving and Befriending Students (SIBS) at William Mason High School, guiding tours for eighth-grade students was an annual celebration. And while I remember acting extra crazy to relay extra enthusiasm onto the incoming freshmen and adding personal insight to the perks of high school, I never really opened up and provided this transformative piece of advice. Looking back, here is what I would say:
You are about to enter a four-year journey through the largest high school in Ohio. Here you will be presented with countless opportunities that will expand your range of mind and teach you to be a leader. This is a blue ribbon school that maintains the highest standard of achievement across the board for academics, athletics, and beyond. But it has also grieved the loss of nine students in nine years through 2018. Nine conscientious, talented, uplifting, some seemingly lighthearted individuals.

In such a competitive, rigorous environment students feel that if they do not keep up with their most ambitious goals they will fail themselves and disappoint others; most of you are already planning a stacked course load and envisioning that spot on the varsity level of your sport. But be careful to view the present as just a step to endure, to skip and jump to your dream future. Because before you know it the balance in your lives will topple and the boundaries you pushed to excel in something will lose their credit and you will seek perfection. Your ambition will work against you. How will you stay healthy for your future family?

Fortunately, as SIBS we put forth many programs schoolwide that shed light on the stigma that surrounds mental illness and encourage all students to recognize that they are not alone. However, we almost never encourage each other to be vulnerable. This is because vulnerability is often equated with weakness. But I encourage you to have the courage to be vulnerable; it will open up empathy and make you respected for admitting your emotions. It is scary at first to wear your heart on your sleeve (believe me), but so worth it to feel self-aware and free.

I urge you to never give up. Still, don’t we all want to at times? I will tell you that if you find yourself in a place where you are so exhausted that it seems like trying is not worth it anymore, picture your future family—your spouse and children-cherishing your unique qualities and quirks, sticking by your side always. You are needed to complete that picture.

So do not even think about ending it here; there is no future family without you.