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High school has been a rewarding, yet challenging experience. At times, it was a struggle trying to find where I belonged or what I wanted to achieve. Now that graduation has arrived and high school has come to an end, I understand what lessons those four years taught me.
The first lesson I’ve finally learned at the end of my senior year is that being happy with yourself as well as your accomplishments makes all the difference in life. Realizing your worth builds self-esteem and brings you forward through the tough times. I have come to understand this on a very personal level.
During my senior year, I lost my self-esteem for many reasons. I allowed myself to focus only on what I considered to be “failures” in my life. I didn’t recognize who I was anymore and I only based my self-worth on what others thought of me.
It seemed like the cloud would never lift because I only found faults in my character and appearance. This rough patch, however, was of my own making. No one ever told me I wasn’t worth it; only I ever told myself that.
Once I accepted who I was and realized the value of all the love and support I had, I found my way again. Instead of criticizing myself for my mistakes, I needed to learn from them and utilize that knowledge to do better the next time. I know now that I am my best friend and only I can bring myself up or down.
The second lesson I learned is to take opportunities when they are presented to you. Sometimes they never appear again, and when that happens, you regret it. I didn’t do that enough while I was in high school because I felt scared to experience new things. I only focused on what could go wrong rather than what could go right.
The greatest opportunity presented to me was this Career Practicum internship at the Kaiserslautern American newspaper. When I started the program, I felt very nervous to start my internship because I was afraid of failing or not being accepted. If I had allowed this opportunity to pass me by, I would have been a fool.
At the 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs office, everyone has been welcoming since day one. Because of them, I have grown as a writer and learned the importance of camaraderie, responsibility and hard work.
Their support and continuous kindness motivated me to do my very best every week. Though my articles were never vital to the newspaper, they always took the time to provide constructive criticism and help me to improve my writing.
Without even realizing it, they made me extremely happy and I’ll be forever grateful to them. Taking on this internship was the best decision I made throughout my high school career by far.
I’m awfully sad that I won’t be working with them anymore; however, I know I’m leaving with a great feeling in my heart and a sense of satisfaction.
I have also been very fortunate to have such wonderful parents, teachers and friends who have always supported me. They helped me realize all I have to offer and what opportunities and experiences lie ahead of me.
As I walk across the stage today, I know that with my confidence, the support of others and the experiences I have had these past four years, I am prepared to emerge into the real world and succeed.
