By Gianna Bartolini ‘15

When you’re a high school freshman, it is very easy to imagine the future and think that you know the way your life will turn out. If grades are what you base this on, it may be possible, but on a social and emotional level, it will not be the case. As a senior, looking back on my years of high school so far and looking forward to the final months of this stage in my life, I have come to realize that there are two lessons to learn from the past four years.

One: you aren’t going to be the same person graduating as you were on the first day. The most obvious change is usually superficial. By seventeen or eighteen, you’re usually taller, fitter and better looking than you were at fourteen. Puberty usually does people a few favors; hopefully I’m less awkward looking now that I’ve grown out of my baby cheeks and man haircut. Although people seem to put more value on appearance, the change that really matters is the one that impacts personality, values and self-identification. Freshman year, I was a ‘theatre geek’ and tried my hardest to be involved in every single production, but as time went on, I realized that I wasn’t truly passionate about that and put more of a focus on dance classes.

Two: the people you are with affect who you are. Peer pressure is real, but isn’t always a bad thing. My friends have helped me make regrettable decisions, but there are a lot of awesome things that I would’ve never done if I hadn’t known them. Even for those I am no longer close to, our shared experiences are invaluable to my life. From one group of friends, I learned the importance of individuality, artistry and culture; from another, the value of staying close to my spiritual roots and working towards positive, healthy relationships; and from yet another, the power of friendship and supporting each other through life’s ups and downs.

Some people are meant to come into our lives for a short time, and others are there to stay. After this was explained to me by a close friend, I began to see the positive reasons for each relationship and what came out of them. This is especially helpful to think about after friend drama and tear-filled breakups. I always trust too easily, and for my overly sensitive soul, knowing that there is always something constructive to take from this is reassuring.

Finally, the biggest lesson of all is that when life closes a window, it opens a door of opportunity. Although the situation may seem ‘dire,’ like losing an SGA election or not being chosen for a coveted spot on the baseball team, it’s often for the best. In my junior year, I didn’t get a role in the musical when all my friends did, so I quit. I was embarrassed and felt judged by everyone, so I isolated myself from the people I’d become so close to. While this was an awful experience, it allowed me to become better friends with girls at ballet and improve drastically at dance.

Changes must be accepted peacefully. It’s natural for things to change in life, and instead of fighting them and trying to keep things the same, allowing them to evolve organically makes your life so much easier and happier.