Before I know it, my four years of high school will be over in the blink of an eye. Looking back, I have four insights I’d like to share that I believe will help you make the most of your time as a Mustang.

First, be unapologetically you. Don’t spend your time trying to live someone else’s life. It’s easy to fall into the trap of following some fictional ideal of the perfect high school student, but there’s no such thing. We are all unique, and our high school experiences should be too.

Second, embrace change. As Charles Darwin stated, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.” This pandemic has revealed that our lives can change in a moment. Our high school experience expectations have been upended from virtual pep rallies to eLearning to a block schedule. Fortunately, being open-minded and flexible allows us to view any circumstance as a new opportunity. 

Next, don’t overthink it. While it’s easy to dwell on past mistakes or a bad test grade, nothing is truly as big a deal as we make it out to seem. So trust me when I say that a single C doesn’t make you a failure. 

Last but not least, get out of your comfort zone. Ask the hard questions, start a new club, try out for a sports team, or run for an officer position. Whatever it is, challenge yourself to break past your boundaries and self-imposed limits. 

I want to thank my teachers, coaches, friends, and peers, as well as the entire MHS staff, for making my Mustang experience meaningful and memorable.