Four years ago, I entered high school as someone I do not even recognize. As a result of the countless important individuals in my life I have grown into the young woman I am today. Thanks to these wonderful people for helping me to discover my potential.
I AM a daughter
From a young age, I was constantly reminded that I am just like my mother. While it used to relentlessly annoy me, I now realize how immense of a compliment it really is. My mom is amazing, from her will to succeed to her strive for perfection, I admire my mom from all aspects. During sophomore year of high school, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Despite being burdened with such a terrible disease my mother approached the situation with a poise of optimism and grace you seldom see in such difficult aspects of life. My mother is the most optimistic person I know and is definitely one of the biggest contributors to who I am today(I mean, she did give me life). My mom applies dedication in all aspects of her life, whether it be waking me up at 8am on a Sunday morning vacuuming(you eventually get used to it) or relentlessly preparing for my impending open house. From her I have learned to apply your best self in everything you do, no matter how small a task. I can only hope that I live up to be "just like" my mom.
|
I AM a Best friend.
I have had many friends throughout high school- some of which who of stayed, while others have drifted. One in particular has quite literally stuck with me- Tyler Adkins. Where do I begin with this one-of-a-kind gem? Much like a sister, Tyler and I have definitely experienced ups and downs, and just like sisters we always forgive each other. Maybe that's why I value our friendship so much, it is genuine. We are able to speak our minds to each other, whether it be negative or positive, and still love one another none the less. Tyler has taught me the importance of finding that one great friend rather than 100 "friends" who can barely manage to make time to send you a text back. Before I was introduced to Tyler, I felt alone in high school. I did not fit in with a specific group of my peers... I was too klutzy and awkward to play sports, and I wasn't musically inclined enough to be in band. Being from such a small community heavy emphasis is put on too few of things- for Laingsburg, it's band and sports. While Tyler emphasizes sports in her life, I made a connection with her I was unable to make with anyone else in my grade; we just got one another. Maybe it was convenience or maybe the saying is true that opposites do attract, but nevertheless I am forever grateful to have her in my life. I believe that Tyler and I have equally shaped each other's characters throughout our high school career. Tyler has always to pushed me to do better in school (even if it was begging me to do the homework just so I could teach her how). From Tyler, I have learned to slow down and to stop stressing about absolutely every little thing that comes my way. Leaving high school, I possess a much calmer demure as opposed to when I entered, and I think Tyler can say the same thing about herself.
|
I AM a sister.
She looks like my dad, I take after my mom....unalike in so many ways, yet so alike in countless areas, my sister is someone who will always be by my side. Bailee has taught me a variety of life lessons since the day she came screaming at the top of her lungs(still relevant) into this world. As I held her in my arms at three years old, while everyone crouched over me cooing at her big blue eyes, I was taught the important life lesson of sharing attention. No longer was I an only child, consuming any and all attention from mom and dad, but now I had to share it. Growing up, Bailee and I have always been complete opposites, and boy has that led to the many infamous sister fights... bringing me to my second, but equally important valuable lesson taught by Bailee... forgive and forget. If not for her, I would still be upset over her wearing my brand new shorts more than I've been able to the past month (which by the way, have yet to be returned). I've learned to forgive, because in the end, I don't want to let a 10 second part of my day spoil the entire thing. Instead of looking back at high school of all the times people upset me or began hurtful rumors, I would rather remember the laughs until my belly hurt, the laughs that were nearly impossible to control during the middle of a lesson, and of course the laughs that could barely escape our lips because we were so tired our eyes drooped shut. Last but definitely not least, Bailee has taught me the valuable lesson of patience. I cannot even being to tell how many mornings I have stood by the door waiting to leave for school, frantically glancing at the time to see that it was already 7:42... school starts at 7:51... only to have Bailee rushing upstairs at the very last possible second- one sock on, shoes in her hand and a backpack sliding off her arms. Patience is a key to life, no matter how hard you try things are not always going to go your way and people aren't always going to do exactly what you want. Be patient, everything is going to work out, and if it doesn't, than obviously it wasn't meant to be. As much as waiting for Bailee has drove my anxiety and frustration absolutely through the roof, as I sit in my dorm in Grand Valley I know for a fact that I will be wishing for one more day of rushing out the door to school with her. It's heartbreaking to think that I have a mere 5 more school mornings of jamming in the car, singing like rockstars(or dying cats, same thing) with the amazing sister who has been there for me- even it means laughing at me every time I trip on the flat floor.
|
I AM a girlfriend.During my sophomore year, a boy I had never hung out with before, showed up to my house after an invite was extended to him. Bored, the group of us decided to ice skate. As I slid across the lake, enjoying the chill of the winter air, I was interrupted by the constant thud of this boy unable to stand up straight on the slippery ice without falling. Crippled with laughter, and almost unable to skate myself, I tried my hardest to teach him how (2 1/2 years later and he still can't). A short few months later I was able to call this goon, Canyon Walker, my boyfriend. Canyon taught me to love myself through his admiration of me. Canyon is my number one fan and biggest supporter, whether it be school or photography, he is always cheering me on- much like the endless basketball games I stood on the bleachers screaming for him. From him, I've learned the importance of accepting yourself how you are and not what others want you to be. To one person you may mean the entire world and anything you accomplish is exciting to them. Because of him, I would want to get to school an extra 5 minutes early, if that meant an extra 5 minutes of talking and laughing with him. Without Canyon, I would've never began my own photography business. His encouragement and dedication to helping me succeed pushed me to put myself out there. I began high school as a meek freshman who would stress herself silly on what to wear the next day, to a confident senior who knows she has the capacity to change the world- so thank you for that Canyon Douglas.
|
I AM a photographer.
Photography opens my eyes to the world in way that not many things can. A whole new perspective is recognized, emotions are pulled to the surface, a moment is forever froze in time— all achievable through a single photo. The captivating ability to present to others how I view the world, is a driving force of my passion for photography. My journey with photography began at a young age. I was often found begging my parents for a turn with the camera as soon as something caught my attention. As I entered yearbook my junior year, hoping for a camera to be placed in my hands, little did I know my life would take on a whole new meaning. From day one on The Looking Glass staff I immediately sought out a way to learn the difficult, but rewarding, aspects of photojournalism. After hours of practice, and constant tutorials on how to use a camera correctly, my first piece of work was published in the October issue of The Informer. The feeling I experienced is inexplainable as I realized my hard work had finally paid off. But it did not stop there, I went on that year to have my photos used multiple times throughout the yearbook, as well as making the cover of The Informer more than just once. A few of my photos were even used in the local newspaper, The Meridian Weekly. In April I was awarded a place in the 2017 All-State Student Journalist Staff for photojournalism. Photography is what I believe finally gave me my place in high school. Throughout school, I rarely felt as if I belonged to a particular group. While I did have friends, I was never able to have the group bonding teammates seemed to enjoy. Time with my own “friend group” would soon decrease as their schedules became consumed with practices, games, and tournaments. I truly believe that photojournalism is what ultimately made me feel at home in high school. No longer did I fret over not being able to participate in the action of that night’s big game, but rather I was in the action, capturing every moment of it.
this is me.
I'm sassy. I'm loud. I'm obnoxious. I'm energetic. I'm talkative. I'm klutzy. I'm crazy. I'm sensitive. I'm loving. I'm hot headed. I'm strange. I'm a procrastinator. I'm an emotional roller coaster - but I would not change one thing about myself. If high school has taught me one thing, it is to accept yourself and not care one bit what others may think. I wish I would have realized this sooner- I spent way too many hours wishing I could change myself, just to feel accepted by others. I don't completely fit in, and I'm completely okay with it. In the end, it does not matter who was popular in high school, who won the most awards, who was at the top of the class, who won homecoming queen- but rather who you were/are as a person. Do you make a conscious effort to improve the lives that surround you? Do you stop to enjoy the little things instead of constantly looking for whats next? Are you proud of the person you are and how you treat others? Stop focusing on how others view you and start focusing on what makes you happy.
|