Framing my future

At the beginning of high school, I had no idea what to expect. The workload was different than what I was used to, and there were many new faces. Though during my freshman year, I also had my older brother with me as a senior, so when he graduated, I was truly on my own in high school.

My older brother was what guided me through my freshman year. He helped me get out of my comfort zone, he influenced the classes I took, and we drove to school, so I was a part of clubs that I never would have been able to if it weren’t for him. I didn’t realize how large an impact this had on me until after he graduated.

Sophomore year was when I was really experiencing things on my own, and it was challenging. Building studying habits, trying to handle my increased workload, and discovering who I was. Everything seemed intimidating. Because of this, I did nowhere near as much as I did my freshman year, and I regret that. Though truly going about things on my own helped me figure out who I am quite a bit.

I knew that I had always loved movies and the processes that went into them, and I did some projects in my free time to work with media every so often, but this didn’t become a part of my school life until closer to the end of my sophomore year, when I began doing consistent projects with media. 

My counselor knew about my passion for film, and at the end of my sophomore year, he encouraged me to join the school’s new team, Tiger TV, and set up an interview for me. This ended up being an amazing decision for the rest of high school because it only enhanced my love for movies and TV even more.

Junior year was really when everything changed. Academically, all of my classes were harder. It felt stressful, but junior year helped me balance my workload and social life. I felt happier, I felt more like myself, and I was getting out of my comfort zone once again, and it was freeing. 

Tiger TV was also a large part of my junior year, and it truly fueled my passion for film, leading me to choose journalism during my senior year and ultimately decide to major in film in college. 

Senior year has been my favorite year of high school. I’ve had more freedom in choosing my classes; I’ve taken classes that pull me deeper into my love for film, and this is the year I have been most social. I will carry the memories I’ve made here at Plainfield North for the rest of my life.