High school isn’t everything

I was the personification of 14 going on 41 my freshman year when I attended my first party. No, this was not a party with alcohol and drugs but the environment provided a contrast stark enough to shock me into avoiding anything fun in fear of
getting into trouble and losing focus of what was important to me.

At the time, I saw high school as the only chance I had to prove what I was capable of academically in order to get into the college I wanted. As I devoted myself to academics, I inadvertently distanced myself from the very support system that could have helped me navigate the challenges ahead and help me destress from the complex life of being a regular teenager.

Once COVID-19 hit and students were forced to do school from their home, I was blessed with a copious amount of free time I hadn’t had since the previous summer. I realized how much I was missing out on relationships I had pushed aside to focus on building the picture-perfect college resume. I felt a greater sense of fulfillment in laughing with my friends over the phone and cook- ing meals with my family while also making time to focus on my schoolwork and continue to reach my academic and scholastic goals.

If I were to walk away from Mill Valley having learned only one thing it’d be this: high school is just a chapter in the larger story of your life. Anything that happens in those four years will virtually have almost no effect on what you want to do with your life. Rather than allowing high school to be the end all be all, allow the experience to be a stepping stone toward the more fulfilling future.