Walking into NHS the first day of freshman year, holding onto my 2000 Chevy Silverado keys and with promise in my eyes, I knew this would be the place where I was able to learn what I am meant to accomplish in my future. Thankfully, that came to me in room 1-113 and the ag shop. The journalism and agriculture departments were where I thrived, although that did not come easily.

Most people experience some kind of serious life lesson throughout adolescence; I was not different. For me, high school taught the importance of working hard and persevering through hard difficulties.

During my first year on newspaper, I was expecting to excel and impress every upperclassmen staff member to show that I was worth being apart of the staff. Little did I realize, even though I was thrilled to be apart of this community, I was belittled and berated for what I thought was my best work. The negative energy from what I thought was a leader on staff, led me to contemplate whether or not it was worth staying.

Thankfully, with the guidance from Mrs. Montano and the long talks with my parents and friends led me to stay on staff, which was the best decision I’ve ever made. My strength to continue pursuing what I love has not only made me a leader, but a better person as a whole. Now, I am able to handle difficult decisions as an adult, rather than dreading them like a child.

Throughout my high school career, there have been other instances that have shown my perseverance, but I believe that without those experiences, I would not be who I am today. Although people take high school for granted, saying that it was a waste of time, I believe it is essential for us to learn these lessons in a school setting. Future graduates of NHS, take my advice and be resilient through the hard times, take my advice and persevere through the hard times. You may not know how now, but overcoming such could have