Haley Steenhoek: Senior Commentary

Over the course of my highschool experience I have constantly been spending my time trying to keep my grades up, preparing for college, and trying to learn responsibility. If there is one thing I have learned from high school it is that letting yourself loosen up and make memories will make your high school experience a lot less stressful and more memorable. I have also learned that you really want to focus on how you want your future to look like. Highschool is a huge part of shaping who you become in the future so how you treat others during your highschool career and how you treat yourself matters. Highschool isn’t just completely about getting good grades on your finals and spending all your free time studying for quizzes and tests; it is also about learning who you are and where you will fit into the world. Highschool is the first step to deciding what you will want to pursue in college or your life, so that is why it is so important to make your high school experience count.

Highschool has brought me a lot of challenges that I am actually grateful for. I have spent countless nights worrying about my grades and worrying about the SAT, but in the end it all is worth it when you get your college acceptance letter in the mail. I was very excited to be accepted to Colorado Mesa University to pursue a degree in Mass communications and Business. High School is just a stepping stone to prepare you for the future. To make highschool bearable and enjoyable, I did volleyball freshman and sophomore year. Volleyball really pushed me to work hard in school and keep my grades up. I really didn’t think that freshman year or sophomore year would really affect my highschool career but it did. I learned that it is best to make each year count because before you know it you will be walking across a stage getting your diploma. I wish I would have gotten involved in more after school activities like soccer, Key Club and student council. I feel like this would have helped me stay in line and stay motivated in school.

During my highschool career, I moved five times. It was really hard for me to adapt to new changes and to stay motivated in school. I worked really hard to embrace the change and try to make school a priority. When I started at FMHS, I really felt like I grew to love the school and the students. I finished my junior year and senior year here and found many friends that I will be attending college with. FMHS really helped me find what I love to do and now I am lucky enough to be able to go to college and study it. As you face challenges whether it be moving constantly or just feeling like school isn’t for you, it is important to take those challenges and try to learn from them so that you can better yourself and your future.

High School can be an amazing experience, but it is what you make it. The most important thing I learned through these four years is that since you are around people constantly, some that like you and some that don’t like you, it is best to just be yourself and not worry about others around you. You are there to learn and prepare yourself for your future. Image is not the most important thing in highschool. Although it may seem like it in the first few years, you and your education is what matters most. It is important to make highschool memorable, but it is very important that you get an education. Also, drama doesn’t have to consume your whole attention. You have to look at highschool in a bigger picture and figure out yourself and what you want to take away from these four years. It is best to make your time spent in school count since it is required. In five years, when you look back at highschool you don’t want it to be full of regrets because you didn’t try hard enough in school or you were mean to everyone. Make highschool count and do what you have to do and just enjoy the time with your friends because before you know it you will be walking across the stage at graduation getting your diploma and beginning your future.