Life is the most unpredictable thing we know. There are many times we feel prepared, only to have the situation change. That is exactly how high school is as well. Throughout my four years at Texas High, I have had the chance to experience some amazing opportunities, while still learning about myself along the way. 

As a timid freshman, I had no idea what to expect. I was a small fish in a huge pond. I was just getting started; I joined the student council and I was a cheerleader, so I had as good of a basis as possible. Early on, I set some goals for myself, so that I could have things to work toward throughout high school. Those goals involved: my dream of becoming TASC state president, serving others before serving myself, and constantly building my relationship with God. I always told myself that if I could accomplish those goals, then my four years as a tiger would be successful.

As an underclassman, I worked hard on my grades, student council, and to be in any club that I possibly could. Quickly, time became very thin and I had stretched myself pretty far out. I was doing everything that I could possible to reach my goal of being a state president, but that came with a lot of sacrifices and a lot of time constraints.

I soon learned that I would not be able to participate in everything that I had hoped to. Leaving my junior year, I had to sacrifice being a cheerleader on the cheer team in order to create more time for myself to delve into the servant side of my heart. It wasn’t easy, but looking back at it – I wouldn’t have done it any differently. 

With all of the time that I used toward student council service, I learned a lot about myself. I learned life skills of how to manage my time, I learned about the importance of listening to others, and I learned to take into consideration what people struggle with privately.

Eventually I completed my high school dream, and peaked whenever I was selected as TASC‘s 2019 state president. All of the hard work and lessons learned had finally paid off. The exhilaration I was feeling was like no other.

In the end, the best thing that I ever did for myself was set goals early on and work to achieve them throughout my four years. The opportunities that came throughout that journey and the life lessons that I learned, cannot be compared to anything else. I also grew more in my faith then I could’ve ever expected, which is something that I could not be more thankful for.

My advice: set a few goals and raise the bar high so that you can reach your fullest potential throughout high school. In doing so, when you go to college life, or any other major chapter in your life, you’ll be more prepared and more motivated to strive for greatness. When you going to college life, or any other major chapter in your life, you’ll be more prepared and more motivated to strive for greatness.