This article is dedicated to all of the teachers, as well as the other faculty members, from the high school I attended in Spotswood, New Jersey.

As a recent graduate, I have come to the realization that the lessons you learn after classes end are the ones you need most. Of course, academics are important, but what you experience outside the classroom is just as important.

I have always had an admiration for educators and their efforts to change the lives of their students in every aspect possible. Many of my former teachers are people I now consider friends, but they are also the people I respect and go to when I need help.

In order to fully explain the impact high school had on me, I must first provide some background. The amount of changes I went through from freshman to senior year is pretty insane. I began high school as a shy, insecure, bullied young girl who did not know what she wanted out of life. Looking back, I’m not sure I wanted anything from life. That being said, today I am a strong, independent, passionate man.

High school is typically very rough for students regarding academics and life in general. We go through a lot of physical and mental changes. Being openly transgender in high school was not easy, I will admit that. But I did it. Yes, it was rough, but I pushed through it. For me, high school was a turning point.

Between freshman and senior year, I went through a lot. I experienced love and then heartbreak. I was hospitalized for suicidal ideation. I made friends and then drifted from them. I got some poor grades and then got better ones. Most importantly though, I was able to go through all of that and more in the span of four years and came out stronger than ever.

One of my favorite quotes (and my senior quote) is from George Bernard Shaw, “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself,” is a phrase that means a lot to me. I didn’t find myself in high school. I created myself. I didn’t get through all of the rough times because I was looking for myself. I got through everything because I never gave up on creating who I want to be and eliminating what I didn’t want to be.

That being said, I learned a lot about myself and what I did/did not want, as well as general “life stuff”. I learned that failing does not make you a failure and you can stand up after being knocked down. I learned that sometimes people come and go in your life, but it works out in the end.

I learned that love doesn’t have to exist for a long time to be genuine. I learned that friendships don’t always last, but they are still worth it. I learned that people are not always how you perceive them to be. I learned that your mental health is vital and much more important than we think. I learned that teachers are people too and they really do care about their students like their own children.

Most importantly, I learned that high school is so much more than grades and that your worth is not determined by academics. High school may not be the best four years of your life, but it is the best opportunity to make the most of what you have and create yourself.

I urge you to look beyond the classroom. Breakthrough the surface of the MLA Format. Dig deeper than the Pythagorean Theorem. Strive for the core of education. Sift through the academic lessons that seem meaningless or irrelevant to discover their worth. High school is so much more than never-ending slides, excessive notes, your GPA, and preparing for college. High school is a time of personal development, self-discovery, and preparation for the rest of your life.