Dear high schoolers,
High school for some students is the greatest time of their life. For others, it was or is the worst. People excelled, people suffered. For me, high school was a blur. I barely remember the first two years of high school. Going from a small middle school to a large and overcrowded high school was no easy task. It was terrifying and exciting at the same time. Every high school is different. Everyone has a different experience and their own way of reflecting on it. Being that it has been about two years since I've graduation high school, even though two years isn't very long ago, I hear about how things have changed from a number of different people. Here is a letter to all of the high schoolers that are having the time of their life or the people that are just waiting to get out. Here is a letter to high schoolers regarding bullying.
I remember being in your seat once. Taking notes, doing everything you can to pass your classes, or at least wishing you did. Being stuck in an overcrowded school, waiting for that 3 o'clock bell to ring to get the heck out of there and carry on with your day. I get it. It's not everyone's favorite place. It does teach us things, though. I'm not talking about Math, Science, and English. I'm talking about life lessons.
High school for me was where I started becoming more independent. I was teased and made fun of, but it helped me grow. I learned to not worry about what other people say because they obviously had nothing better to do. I know it's easier said than done, but changing who you are is never easy. You become more independent. You learn to look out for yourself. In hard times, the one person you can depend on to take care of you is yourself. Unfortunately, there are people out there who enjoy tearing you down as well. One lesson that everyone should learn is to stick up for people.
Don't be a bystander. It takes guts to stand up to someone, but some people need to learn that they will get nowhere in life by bullying their classmates or spreading rumors. If you are someone who feels the need to hurt someone else for the things that are going on in your life, talk to someone and speak to an adult that you trust. I understand that you may not have the best life, but that is no excuse to make someone feel alone.
You can change. You can get better. You can make amends and become a better person. High school is that place where you can feel alone in a room full of people. Stick with people you trust, but also learn to trust yourself and stick up for yourself. Help the people that just need a leg up. If you do not like the way your life is, you have the power to change it. Your life is what you make of it. Live it to the fullest.
