As I finish my high school career, there are so many good memories that I have to take with me. From the minute I walked through the doors, I felt a sense of community. The counselors here have always been incredibly helpful, and the teachers were more than willing to go the extra mile so their students felt secure in the material. I can definitely say that overall, I had an extremely positive high school experience.
Of course, there were things I would do differently, if I had a chance to do so. One of those things would be to do my homework, all the time…it really does make an impact on your grade. I would also make an attempt to join more clubs offered here at LHS, such as Interact or Best Buddies, because they’re a perfect way to meet new people and they look great on college apps.
Most importantly, I would make myself realize how important trust is to have. Not only trust with your parents, but with people who just genuinely care about you. I will admit that I’ve learned the hard way, more than once, that when trust is broken, it is hard to gain back. The amount of time it takes to lose the trust of someone does not even compare to how long it takes to fully gain it back.
Ms. Sara Rogers, the dean who works in the A-F LST, is always willing to help out students whenever they need it. I personally have been able to come to her with any problem, and although she is not my dean, she’s been nothing but caring.
“Generating positive and trusting relationships with key adults in the building can help students for the time if or when they make a poor decision,” Rogers said.
There are so many situations in high school that can have good or bad outcomes, depending on what decisions are made. The right thing to do may not be what your friends are doing, and those are the times when it is most important to stick to your beliefs. Everyone hears it in the years leading up to eighth grade graduation: high school is full of peer pressure. I didn’t believe it until I got here, but it is extremely true. The choices you make may not seem like a big deal at the time, but one simple and seemingly innocent mistake can have such a huge impact on you.
Social media is one major factor that some students don’t seem to have a handle on. Anything that is posted online, whether it be Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, can be viewed by anyone who wants to see it. A picture posted may not seem like a big deal — that’s what social media is for — but if the school or anyone suspects that there might be underage drinking or illegal drug usage taking place, it can have a large impact.
Not only does it impact your high school school experience, but future colleges, internships, and jobs all have access to social media accounts and they do check for those kinds of pictures. It can come across as unprofessional, and one silly picture could cost you a once-in-a- lifetime opportunity.
Besides that, it will cause trust to be broken between you and adults who care. High school is a crucial time of learning lessons. The faculty and staff at LHS want the best for each and every student and will not hesitate to do whatever they can to help. That may change a bit in college — professors have to deal with thousands of students — and while they do help, it won’t be as personal, and there will be less room for mistakes to be made.
I’ve learned so much during my time at LHS, from trigonometry to learning how to keep trust. I will always be grateful for all the adults in the building who have never failed to show how much they care about each and every student, in any situation that comes up. I can truly say that I am well-prepared for my next four years of college and everything that is beyond.
