Taking the Risks

As a middle school student, I was very intimidated by the thought of attending high school. I was scared of the upperclassmen, the workload, and even the freedom of choosing classes. I was used to being in the same classes with the same students in one small area of the school and having everything already chosen and laid out for me. The thought of gaining a sense of independence and obtaining heavier responsibilities was not something I looked forward to. However, on the first day of high school, my perspective changed. The cordial greetings of the teachers and upperclassmen along with the help to become accustomed to this brand new environment made transitioning so much easier and way less scary than I imagined. Now, as a senior, looking back on this distant memory has helped me realize that although it’s easy to stay within your comfort zone, taking risks and reaching out to others is the only way to create lifelong memories and relationships. I took the time to get to know all my teachers and they soon became my mentors to help me navigate through these fun, confusing, and stressful four years of my life. I got involved in clubs like FBLA and OHLA which helped build a foundation for my growth and success as a student. Although I am not going to be a future business leader, FBLA helped build my confidence in public speaking and assisted me to increase my work ethic. OHLA and FBLA gave me rewarding experiences when I did a lot of volunteer work for people in need. Along with the rewarding experiences, I also had fun memories. During the 3 days of FBLA conferences every year will be moments I’ll never forget, like when my friend and I got tricked into trying some lame virtual reality game at the mall where we were duped for our money, or when we all played Club Penguin in the hotel rooms in between events. During virtual conferences, a group of my friends and I had a sleepover where we pulled an all-nighter and went to go see the sunrise. We paid the price when we were all sick from lack of sleep.  These small and what would be perceived as insignificant experiences are memories I will cherish forever. One quote that really resonated with me was “The biggest risk in life is not taking risks.” Sounds cheesy, sounds generic, and it even sounds cliche, but it is such an important lesson to learn. Taking risks opens up a world of opportunities, and little freshman me was so scared to put myself out there in fear of failure, but I forced myself to and I am so happy I did. Life is all about what you make it. If you choose to stay within your comfort zone, that’s fine. If you are a risk-taker and jump at every opportunity presented, that’s also fine. What worked for me is to meet right in the middle of both extremes, and maybe what works for me isn’t suitable for you and that’s fine. But the one thing I strongly suggest to every single person after graduating from Oak Hill High School is to broaden your horizons, turn your dreams into goals, and your goals into reality. Put yourself out there, take failures and turn them into learning lessons. Most importantly, keep moving forward. Celebrate your successes whether they are big or small. Take the time to make memories. Always stay true to yourself, and finally, remember your core values as we all begin our own journeys to a successful future.

“Ben Jumping off Cliff” by TonyBaldasaro is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.Copy text