Where do I begin when reflecting on my past four years of high school? It honestly took me a long time to think of this first sentence. But it is honestly impossible for me to simply say everything I feel in one sentence.
High school has been an adventure — even a roller coaster, with more ups than downs. Every difficulty I faced has only shaped me into a better person and given me more blessings than I could ever imagine. Football games, chapel, performing with the jazz band at basketball games, going to New York with journalism, the San Diego band trip and being a homecoming queen nominee are just a few things that are remembered as the most fun times of these four years.
It is so sad to think that in just a few short days, all of this will be over and I will move on to the next stage in my life.
On one hand, I want to leave high school and begin working in college on my future career, while on the other hand, I wish I could stay and relive all the fun and funny memories. But life does not work that way; we shouldn’t dwell on the past, but rather keep moving forward.
All I know is Fresno Christian. I have been here for 13 years, and I have never experienced a world outside this tight-knit group of people. Yes, my high school is probably half the size of a typical public school’s senior class, but I love this small-school atmosphere. I love how I can walk down the hallway and know every person’s name and that I probably carried on a conversation with them a few times at least.
I wish I could relive many of my high school experiences and feel that same joy I felt at that exact moment — for example, when I first found the strength and confidence to interview my first person for my first article for The Feather.
I was a very shy, reserved person beginning my freshman year. I was never fond of this quality, so I was determined to “come out of my shell.” That is when I decided to enroll in journalism.
I have never found so much difficulty and frustration than I did in having to interview people while being too shy to do it. But when I finally forced myself to accomplish this task, I never felt so proud of myself. I remember going to talk to adviser Greg Stobbe and telling him how awkward I felt when interviewing people, but he pushed me to just get it done and not care what anyone thinks of me.
After I got the hang of it, interviewing people became a perfunctory task. Even though I was sometimes stressed or frustrated, I kept telling myself that all of this is good for me and will help me overcome my shyness. So I ended up staying in journalism for four years, and it has been a blast all the way through. Journalism is definitely one of the top contributors to the joy of my high school experience.
Overall, high school truly has been the best time of my life so far. The things I experienced and learned have shaped me into a better person, student and Christian.
People come and go throughout life, and it is the ones that stay through it all that matter the most. I have learned to be patient with people and things changing. I made many friendships and lost some of them. Things like this happen, and sometimes they are out of our control.
Even though I wish some things would just stay the same, I have no power over them. I try to maintain an attitude of finding joy and peace in every circumstance, and this Bible verse, Philippians 4:11, has helped me to do so: “… for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances” (NIV).
One thing I would like to pass on to high school students is not to focus on whatever may be going on at that specific moment, but rather to look at the big picture. Life is too short to be anything but happy. And just think: Will this all matter to me when I am 80 years old? If you think of it that way, all the drama does not matter anymore and you enter into a better frame of mind.
Another inspiring verse is Psalm 34:14, which says: “… seek peace and pursue it” (NIV). It just made me think: If I want a peaceful life, how about I strive toward it and not let drama or anything else get in the way?
I cannot wait till my children ask me about my high school life and I get to tell them all the wacky, amazing, fun and, sometimes, sad stories that occurred. I do not regret any of my mistakes or the mistakes made by other people. All I know is that God put these obstacles before me and he gave me the power to overcome them.
The teenage years are ones in which to take advantage of every opportunity and to have fun. So take it all in and enjoy every minute of it. Stay focused and have faith in God, because no matter what may come your way, he will always be by your side. Sometimes you have to “wait it out” and wait for his plan, but we cannot force things to happen the way we want them to. All we can do is hope for the best and keep joy and peace alive in us all.
Dooley will attend California State University, Fresno, in the fall, majoring in Business Management with a minor in Psychology.
For more senior reflections, read the May 24 column, Confidence derived from music, faith.
