As I try to remember my thoughts and feelings as a freshman, sophomore, and junior, I realize how much I have matured and grown over 4 long, yet fast years. I think about what mattered most to me back then. Who did I want to become? Who was I trying to impress? Where did I want to attend college? Who did I follow? Although the people I valued the most, like family, were always my main priorities in high school, my social and academic perspectives and values have transformed from being naive and fragile as a freshman to now being strong and independent.
It's surprising how much my first three years of high school stand apart from my senior year. I see my younger, freshman self as a shy, dependent kid dying to break out of his protective shell. As a sophomore, I started taking my first steps to being a confident individual, just starting to develop my own style. Junior year was a huge year for me because I became much more active in school and I worked on building relationships with other people. I could go into so much detail about each year but to keep things short, I'll just say that each year challenged, shaped, and prepared me for the following year. I realize now that I'm not the person I am today because of 4 clearly defined, year-long phases in my life. Over those four years, I've learned and matured gradually and surely.
So as a soon-to-be alumni of LOHS, what matters most to me? I don't care about wearing the coolest or stylish clothing brands, or owning the coolest car, or attending the best college, or having the highest GPA. That being said, I'm not saying that caring about style or academics is unnecessary. What matters most to me are my relationships and connections with other people. Lately, I've been doing my best to strengthen my existing friendships and to foster new ones, realizing how little time I have left in high school. I hope that after high school, I continually build and strengthen my relationships with others, not letting it become a forgotten value.
