Life's a Cliché by Madeleine

Life's a Cliché by Madeleine - April 2016 Scholarship Essay

It’s finally here, the last marking period of my senior year. It feels so surreal. It seems that no matter what I say about my time in high school, it sounds cliché. It feels like freshman year was just yesterday, but I know I’ve changed and developed a lot since that very nerve-wracking first day. I was a shy ninth grader who constantly worried about everyone’s opinions of her. I was scared by the upperclassmen and anxious about the cliques. Everyone seemed to have their place, and invisible boundary lines were drawn, keeping me from saying hi to that person in my gym class or joining that club.
For the longest time, I held back from being myself. I was not involved in activities at school and most of my social time was in a community of friends I had in a peace education organization outside of school. I was reserved and felt the weight of everyone’s expectations weighing on me like the backpack full of textbooks I was carrying around. As a junior, I transferred to a new high school.
On my second first day of high school, I was still as self-conscious as ever. I barely knew anyone at school and as a transfer student I was the subject of a lot more attention. With my fresh start I joined a few clubs and immediately found like-minded students. I made an executive decision to work on putting more emphasis on who I wanted to be, and less on who everyone else wanted me to be.
All of a sudden my happiness multiplied. I felt more comfortable in my own skin and around those in my school. I made friends who support me and appreciate me for who I really am. I’ve been able to share common interests—hiking, skiing, breakfast food—with them, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed myself. As this last year comes to a close and I reflect on my time in high school, I’m beyond grateful for the friendships I’ve made and the experiences I’ve had.
With that in mind, be yourself, and own it. Radiate your uniqueness and your energy. Be friendly, branch out, and meet new people. Most importantly, don’t be afraid. Chances are, that person from your gym class would love the acknowledgment, or you might find some of your closest friends in a school club. Now stop reading this essay and get going!