When I walked in the doors of Walter Johnson High School on May 3, 2021, I thought to myself, “Wow, these are going to be the worst three and a half years of my life.” My high school experience, among many others in my grade, was quite different than most. With freshman year mostly online, and only a little bit of in person classes, I never really felt like I was part of the school and getting the true freshman experience that other classes before me may have gotten.
While academics are very important and did make up most of my high school life, the other part that allowed me to get through these years and enjoy them, are my friends and the community that surrounds me. The friends I made sophomore year are still my closest friends now, along with other friends I’ve made along the way. High school has taught me that you do not need to be friends with every single person you meet, but instead cherish and keep your good friends close to you because in the end quality is greater than quantity.
Playing for the WJ ice hockey team has also taught me some valuable life lessons, most importantly never to give up on yourself. I decided to broaden my horizons and join The Pitch my junior year. I am so grateful I made this decision as I love The Pitch community and cherish being a part of it. Whether I am laying out a page for print, or writing about academic superstars at our school, everything I do for The Pitch I don’t do for the grade, I do it because I enjoy it.
My advice is to be open minded, and try everything. Freshman year I would never have imagined myself with this amazing group of friends I have now, or seen myself actually enjoying my classes, and especially I could not imagine myself being a part of the newspaper. But I am forever thankful that I gave these things a shot, because really you never know until you try it. High school moves by fast, so embrace every moment of it… and remember to always stay positive, no matter what.
