High school can change many students for the better or worse. Whether they are good or bad, you are guaranteed a series of opportunities and experiences, but in the end, it is what we choose to make out of it.

 For years, I have believed that the only way to be a star student was to excel in sports or play multiple musical instruments. At the age of seven, I began playing various sports but never enjoyed them. I learned how to play my first instrument at ten years old, but it didn’t spark my interest either. 

I used to watch movies where cheerleaders would always be dating the star football player, and since I was passionate about cheerleading, I thought that would be my story too. However, things turned out differently as I decided to quit cheerleading during my freshman year. Normally, I would give up on most sports I played after three weeks or up to a year, but cheerleading was different. I continued doing it for almost ten years because I loved the feeling of shouting and cheering every time my team scored. It was hard to say goodbye to something that has been a part of me for so long, but high school has a way of changing people. 

I now understand that it was the best decision I could have made because if I hadn’t ended that part of my life, I would have never begun a whole new chapter. I am in my third year of high school, and I’m the president of Key Club, vice president of Student Council, and Photographer/Public relations for the JTC Journal. I have become somebody people can trust and count on to know everything about school events, and I still get to show my school spirit, even if I’m on the sidelines. 

A lot of people ask me if it gets stressful, and yes, it does, but I would never trade it for anything. I love what I do. I have matured, obtained confidence, and gained many new experiences that have shaped me into who I am today. I will never regret the decisions and sacrifices I have made to be where I am today.