Daijah DeForge
“No, this is not the beginning of a new chapter in my life; this is the beginning of a new book! That first book is already closed, ended, and tossed into the seas; this new book is newly opened, has just begun! Look, it is the first page! And it is a beautiful one!” ~C. JoyBell C.
Going into high school I had an idealized view of what it would be like. I watched all the teen movies growing up on Disney Channel and the shows on Nickelodeon. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was excited nonetheless. I didn’t expect to go through such a drastic change.
Looking back on every year of high school, I was a different person. My views and opinions were different, my personality changed, my interests shifted and who I surround myself with varied. I’m so grateful that each year I went through so many experiences and stages because it made me into a well-rounded person. I am so proud of who I am today and I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t go through the hardships, failures, successes, losses and gains of not only high school but just finding myself.
Despite the ebbing and flowing of who I am throughout my four years, there is one thing I’ve consistently had throughout high school: my determination. I have accomplished so many incredible things within my time at high school and while getting that A in one class may not be much in the grand scheme of life, I know my past self worked so hard for it.
I went into high school determined to do well to get into college — a dream I had since I was a kindergartener on her first day of school. And now I’m leaving high school even more determined to accomplish my goals.
As I’m turning the last pages in the book, that is high school, I’m thinking about the next installment in the series. And I don’t know what lies ahead. College and life after is a muddled vision I can’t yet see and while that scares me because I’ve always had a distinct plan about the years to come, I’m excited — and determined — to continue the series.