February 2, 2022
Letter to past self,
I know one thing counselors and other adults shove in your face when you start high school is that it is important to get involved, whether you join a club or sport. It is a way to meet new people, it looks good on a college application and you continue to learn. Central is a great place to get involved because of the multitude of opportunities.
Now I won’t lie. I am far from the most involved student. I want to get in and out of school as quickly as possible. I am not a huge fan of meeting new people and I hate the small talk that takes place when you meet new people. So maybe I am a hypocrite when I say that people could really benefit from getting involved but maybe I am not. I have found my group of people, my way of getting involved. I found newspaper.
I found a love for a class that makes me speak to students, teachers and members of the community. I found a class that causes me to work outside of class hours. I found a teacher I trust and a classroom I feel comfortable in. I found a group of students I can talk to, argue with, laugh with and complain with.
That was all by accident, but it has caused me to rethink when adults speak about how important it is to do extracurricular activities. Finding just one way to get involved has majorly improved my high school experience.
So, my advice is to find a way to get involved while you are in high school. Whether by joining a club, a team or enrolling in a class that requires outside class involvement. On the top of my head, I can list drama, music and journalism classes that do that.
Putting yourself out there, speaking to strangers and getting involved is hard for some people but that should not stop you from at least trying. High school can become way easier when you find your group of people. These people don’t need to turn into your best friends, but clubs, teams, and classes are a way to find people so when you are walking in the hallway it is not a complete sea of strangers.
All I’m really saying is to give it a shot.
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