High school graduates give guidance to their peers
Q. I’m finishing 10th grade. My grades are kind of “eh” – let’s just say I get by. Graduation two years from now seems impossible. You know a lot of seniors. Can you ask them for advice for me?
15-year-old
A. Absolutely. Please remember: Life exists after high school and it gets better. You’re not alone. At times, some of today’s seniors felt as you do now. Join us at the Common Ground Teen Center. You’ll find acceptance, support and laughter.
Sasha V.M. Edwards (Washington High School, 2016): Treat people the way you would like to be treated. Remember the lunch ladies and the janitors make your day possible. Try as many sports and activities as you can to find out what you like. You don’t want to miss out on all the cool stuff because you think it’s not for you. Keep track of the favors that people pay to you. Return them or pay them forward. Being embarrassed for a few minutes will not ruin the rest of your life. Take chances. You will be tempted to say mean things to be part of a conversation. Don’t. Getting laughed at is awful and nobody needs that. There is absolutely nothing wrong with sweatpants. Appreciate gym class, it trains you for the stairs. You’ll be lucky if you have half of the same friends when you graduate as when you’re a freshman. Appreciate people. The books you’re going to read in English are actually really cool. Try to finish them! Asking the teacher a question isn’t as bad as it sounds. Keep a hoodie, snacks and an umbrella in your locker. Nobody has the right to touch you when you don’t want them to, even when you’re in a relationship. Respect people’s personal space and demand that of others. There will be times when you’ll think it’s the end of the world. A couple of months later, you’ll look back and laugh. Don’t stress it. Listen to the way you talk to yourself. Tell yourself something nice every day. If you think you can’t take hard classes because you aren’t smart, take them anyway.
Colin Hale (McGuffey High School, 2016): Enjoy your time as a high school student and be ready for change when the time comes.
Koron Harris (Trinity High School, 2016): Always be yourself. Do and give all that you can. Do exactly what you want to do and be who makes you comfortable. Don’t ever let anyone tell you bad things about you. And if all you can do is a C average, then that is OK. Don’t be stressed out. You are gonna be OK. In the end it will all sort out.
Jackson Legler (Trinity High School, 2016): Hold onto every moment because you’ll never get to have these experiences again. No matter how bad you think it is, the memories you make now can be just as good and lasting and/or as bad as you make them. Take the good with the bad and maybe you’ll make your high school experience not suck. Good luck.
Mike Lucas (Washington High School, 2016): Don’t wait until the last minute to do your work. Do you work and turn it in. Apply yourself. Cherish the moments you have with someone because you never know when it’s the last time you’ll see them.
Thank you to all our peer educator graduates: Treasure Caldwell, Sasha Edwards, Anthony D’Orazio, Elle Free, Jonathan Florian, Colin Hale, Marina Hale, Koron Harris, Angie Hawkins, Dajour Hull, Jackson Legler, Mike Lucas, Brooke O’Donnell, Daniel Pascoe, Paige Kersten, Annie Stockdale, Dallas Stopperich, Adriana Walker and Jamie Wolfe. I have faith in you. I wish you joy, health, success and much laughter. Congratulations!