Summer S., Northmont Middle School
Becoming in tune
Your mind is like an orchestra. Having a negative attitude is the equivalent of everyone being out of tune. If you’ve ever listened to an orchestra, you know how one person being slightly off can cause a ripple effect that eventually affects everyone. Having a negative attitude will directly affect your cognition and actions.
Fifth grade had started like any other year. I was extremely nervous at first, but I thought that it would be a very exciting year. The year had been off to a great start; I was getting good grades and was enjoying school. That feeling didn’t last very long though. I started to feel emotions that I didn’t know, and therefore, I didn’t know how to talk about them. I chose to keep all of these negative emotions inside causing me to isolate myself. I started to care less about school and stopped taking care of myself. I would later learn that the things I was feeling were depression and anxiety. My solution was to stay up late and shut myself in my room. I felt completely lost and without a purpose. Fortunately, an opportunity would come along that would change my life.
My school had a group of students called peer mediators that would help others resolve conflicts or find a friend. I was one of the students who was chosen for the job. We had a day full of training where I got to meet upperclassmen who had been peer mediators. The first few times I went out to recess with my purple peer mediator folder I thought that I wasn’t good enough and no students would come to me for help. The first few weeks were difficult; I struggled with confidence and self-worth. After those first few times, I started to recognize kids that seemed to be having trouble. I could walk around the blacktop and spot kids who were either always alone or two kids who had gotten mad over a game. By helping other people I had been helping myself in the process.
Helping others gave me a sense of wholeness that I hadn''t felt for a long time. After learning that my actions were helping those around me, I started to feel less anxiety and depression. My grades improved, and I started spending more time with my family, all because of being able to be a peer mediator. At the beginning of 5th grade, I didn’t want to be at school or see anyone. The positive attitude that I had gained caused me to start to look forward to school and want to reconnect with the friends that I had neglected. Peer mediation was one of the best things that happened to me due to the positive impact it had on me and those around me.
Gaining a positive attitude caused my mental orchestra to get back in tune. One thing I learned about myself was that in the future I want a job that allows me to help others.
