Sophomore year is probably the most underrated year. Sure, freshman year is shiny and brand new; we meet new people, we explore the campus, we try to get involved in as much as we can. Juniors have reached upperclassmen standing, and they’ve got a lot of business going for them. Seniors are the upperclassmen of upperclassmen; they have come so far and are venturing off into the real world, they’ve decided who they are and what they’re going to do. Sophomore year seems to be forgotten in the middle of all the hustle and bustle of all the other years, but it’s also the year that we’ve finally started getting the hang of everything, correcting all the wrongs we did back in freshman year and figuring out just who we are and what we want to do.

I like to think of my sophomore year as the year I realized a lot of things. As my sophomore year of high school comes to a close, I can't help but look back and reflect on the past year. Most people say that freshman year is one of the hardest years of your life, but for me it was my sophomore year. Although I have dealt with a lot especially when I was in middle school and high school, a lot was thrown my way this year, but luckily I was able to open up and get through this with the best people by my side. The 2017-2018 school year was definitely a tough one, but it was filled with a lot of growth. I feel as if I learned even more about myself and who I want to be as a person as well as the type of people I want to surround myself with on a daily basis.

There were a lot of lessons I took way from this year. I succeeded in some things I wanted to accomplish and other things...not so much. I learned that there are really some people are really there for you. I learned that sometimes the best way to improve yourself is to learn from past mistakes. This year was filled with lots of ups and downs but somehow we have almost got through it.

Although this year was a tough one for me, I realized that I had to lose myself a few times to truly find myself and who I really want to be in this world. I know that I want to be the girl that people can always rely on. The girl that is strong through everything. The girl that tries again after getting knocked down. The girl that is optimistic. The girl that smiles or laughs at least once a day. The girl that puts others first. The girl that never gives up. But, most importantly I want to be the girl that has an impact on every life. This is who I am and who I continue to strive to be. This is me and through my struggles, I am forever thankful for the lonely and long days because they have paved the way towards my goals and have shown me the most beautiful things and people.

Here’s to a better junior year.