My Advice by Madeleine

My Advice by Madeleine - April 2016 Scholarship Essay

As I considered what advice I would give to younger students, knowing what I know now, my reflections carried me back almost 4 years to the beginning of my high school days and I realized how quickly time has passed. It seems like only yesterday that I was the nervous little freshman, wondering what high school would be like, if I would fit in, would I find new friends and maybe learn a little something along the way. As I lingered on the many wonderful memories of high school (and a few not so wonderful), I quickly came to the conclusion that the single most important piece of advice that I could give to younger students is to get involved. As early as possible, step outside of your comfort zone and get involved in as much as you possibly can. Whether it be athletics, music, theater, extracurricular clubs, or all of the above, “Just do it”, because this is what makes high school fun and allows you to make friends and memories that will last a lifetime. You will even learn lessons in these activities that you won’t learn in the classroom.

As a freshman, I was worried about making friends and having fun in high school. I already knew I wanted to play sports but I also forced myself to step outside of my comfort zone and join as many clubs and organizations as I possibly could. I joined Student Council, Flock, High Schools Against Cancer, Relay for Life, and I played basketball and softball. After participating in these varied activities, I was able to quickly sort out those that I really enjoyed from those that I did not. After freshman year, I quit softball and joined cross country and track. Again I was worried, thinking I was going to be one of the worst runners on the team. However, I knew that joining track and cross country was going to get me in shape for basketball. At the first practice, I surprised myself. I was able to keep up with everyone! I continued to improve throughout the practices and eventually ran in every varsity cross country meet my first year of joining the team. Had I not stepped outside of my comfort zone, I would have never discovered how much I loved running and would have missed the opportunity to run cross country in college next year.

I have learned so much through sports, specifically basketball, cross country, and track. I’ve never been around so many people who have so much passion for what they love and who genuinely care so much about one another. I’ve never been around so many people who want to work hard and relentlessly strive to become better. I was a part of something much bigger than myself. We were all working together to achieve the same goal. This is what made our teams special. We weren’t focused on ourselves, we were focused on the team and working together. These teams were truly my family. They always had my back and picked me up on the days when I needed it most. They made the bad days better and the good days great. I am so thankful and grateful to have these people in my life and I have learned so much from every single person. The incredible work ethic I learned playing sports has made me work harder in the classroom, be kinder and respect others, not to take anything for granted, not to feel entitled to anything, and to do everything whole-heartedly and with passion

Through extracurricular clubs I learned how to collaborate and work with others. I learned how to be a part of a group and work together to achieve a goal. I learned that sometimes I needed to step forward and take the lead, and other times I needed to step back and follow while others took the lead. We were able to work hard in these programs, have fun, and make the school a better place at the same time.

So, my advice? Get involved, find your group, try new experiences and get out of your comfort zone. We all have a very limited amount of time in high school and those four years go by in the blink of an eye. I have made friendships that will last a lifetime and have learned lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. It was one heck of a ride and for that I am truly grateful. It can be the same for anyone, “just do it”.