Phoebe W., Oakwood High School
Inevitable Nature of Life
High school comes with many challenges. You face hardships everyday, and setbacks can seem impossible to overcome. Myself and many of my peers let ourselves drown in our problems, sometimes with no desire to swim. How can I survive high school without drowning in my problems? How can I thrive? I have crafted a simple plan to succeed through high school that implements three tools; perseverance, support, and balance.
Over the summer I go to Ogichi Daa Kwe: an all girls camp that focuses on canoeing. Being at camp makes me feel so connected to nature, and I truly feel like my best self there. I have gone for many years, but this year was special because of a leadership program I got to do called LDAC, which stands for Leadership Development Advanced Canoeing. When I got there, I finally felt content: the wait was over and I was where I belonged. Shortly after I arrived we left for a whitewater training two day canoe trip to prepare for our 16 day canoe trip. I was ecstatic to find that my trip consisted of all my close friends and favorite counselor. In previous years my trips had been rocky, but I had a feeling this was going to be my best trip yet. Then, the stomach aches, headaches, and nausea set in. I was sick for 2 days leading up to the trip and sick for 8 days of my trip. Unfortunately I had to evacuate from my trip and go home missing the last two weeks of camp. I was devastated; all I could do when I got home was lay in bed, and I didn't even hang out with my friends. My summer was bumpy because I let my rapant misfortune take over my emotions and control my life. I didn't want to recover from my setback and push on, and I didn't reach out for support. I finally started to reconnect with my friends, and when the school year started again I was back in my groove and feeling better than ever.
I use this experience to remind me that while I could be simply surviving in regret and sorrow, I can also choose to thrive. I am well aware that throughout my highschool experience I will face many challenges and times when I need to be rescued, like on my trip. In order to reinstate my success in high school I will persevere through challenges and face them head on. When needed, I will ask for help and support from my peers and parents and not bear the weight of my problems alone. I will seek balance in my social life, school work, sports, job, extracurriculars and ensure that downtime is a priority on a daily basis. Nature will always take its turn, like it did on me, but if you refuse to give up and make the best of everything, you may come out of it better than before.
