"All smiles Hiding Eight Semesters Worth of Pain" by Maria

"All smiles Hiding Eight Semesters Worth of Pain" by Maria - November 2018 Scholarship Essay

High school: the best years of your life some may say, while others too might disagree and call it a living nightmare. Regardless of which one you side with at the end of it all as a senior you can say you made it through those four years of your life. Whether you were the one out cheering on the football team on those cold Friday nights or you chose to stay home and finish that essay due at 11:59 pm, some days piled with homework, others rushing from school to work, we each had a different journey, yet we all survived. We all finally faced the culminating moment in which we got to put on our caps and wear our gowns, yet even more exciting the much awaited senior quote. So how exactly would I describe my high school experience? A mixture of endless smiles, filled with laughters and the company of my friends, but also how to forget those days in which I wanted to walk out and leave, longing for the day to come to an end, eye on the clock waiting for the bell to ring. As I reflect on my senior year the best way to describe it sums up to “all smiles hiding eight semesters worth of pain”.
Throughout my entire high school career I always carried a smile on my face. No matter the time and place you were bound to find me smiling back at you. For as long as I can remember many constantly question me as to how I always look so happy and manage to smile through it all. I simply shrug unsure how to respond. Even at times when I am frustrated, sad, angry, stressed, I somehow continue to smile through it all. In my mind I like to think that the best way to solve an issue comes from keeping a positive outlook on life. Yes, in those four year in high school there most definitely were countless times in which I simply could not handle the stress of homework, AP classes, not to mention sports and a weekend job. Times were difficult and in many instances I barely made it through. I often found myself sleep deprived with only one to two hours worth of sleep, but the job got done and it all the work paid off. I consider myself a hard working, determined person. If I set a goal in my mind, I will make all efforts possible and fulfill the task to the best of my ability. Knowing that you worked as a hard as possible and gave it your all truly makes it rewarding.
At the end of it all, I can say that I had a pleasant high school experience, pretty good if I do say so. Each new semester brought upon new challenges and a fresh new start. Most of the time the end of the semester involved overworking and stressing trying to get the best grade possible, raising my borderline grades, studying for finals and cramming all the information taught. I can say that from all those days in which the amount of work greatly overwhelmed me and it seemed as though there could possibly be no solution, I have developed myself into the young adult I am today. I have learned from my mistakes, the lows,and surpassed the highs; I am proud of who I become. The good much more outweighs the bad. Nothing may ever compare to all those memorable days, walking through the hallways with my best friends laughing, going to homecoming and prom, along with spirit week, all of our silly moments in which we would meet some of our lifelong friends. As I did in high school I will continue to smile in the years to come. The best way to make through those moments of desperation is to simply keep smiling. There are better days to come and new challenges to continue facing and growing from. Looking at all those faces on the yearbook, seeing all my classmates looking at their best, no sweatpants, bags under our eyes, I see that behind each and every one of us is a story. A story of how we have all reached this point in which we can smile and say- “Yes, I made it”.