As a kid in seventh grade I was scared to grow up because I knew that it meant change and I didn't like that. I didn't understand why things had to happen the way it was supposed to. I never wanted to see the people I've grown up with my whole life leave. But as I'm spacing out in the middle of my classes, I Sometimes wonder how life would've been if things stayed the same. I kinda find myself in another world of reality. Like what would happen if I never met that person at all or if we never went our separate ways. But then again there's always a reason why it had to happen the way it did. Maybe because we had to grow apart in order to evolve to become the person we are today. I look at myself right now while I see old pictures of me as the school years go by, Remembering the time when I first met my best friend or having the longest crush on that person during middle school, but that was just yesterday and now i'm in highschool. I can't wrap my head around that i'm almost done with all of this and After high school I will be moving on with my life, exploring.

High school is making choices and seeing what roads they take you and as you make those choices, it defines you. It can either fix you to improve or break you. I feel like we aren't allow to make mistakes because many people are too afraid to take risks. Because we intend to think all the negativity that can happen in the future. But no one really knows unless you take that leap. I made a lot choices, bad and good. Like locking myself in the back of the trunk while the car drove, to face my fears of claustrophobia or when I had homework and I hanged out with friends at midnight on a school night and I later tell myself what am I doing with my life? But that's my point we all make choices even if it's stupid. All we can do is learn and the best thing you can do is test the waters and the sooner you do that the sooner you'll find who you want to be.

Everybody is a label. Once you walk into the front doors of the school you are consider, what you're known for, a performer, a artist, an athlete. We are categorize by what we do, but a word Can't describe who we are. Having different interest and being different is what makes us to stand out from the rest. I look at the things that I did in the past to see how far I’ve came and i'm proud because i'm making my footprints in this highschool and im trying to become better than I was yesterday and That should be everyone's goals. Labels shouldn’t stop us from who we are.

I fell into pressure of being accepted, just because of expectations of what other people wanted me to be and growing up I wanted to fit in but that was my problem it took away who I was deep inside down and just creates a fake image. It didn't feel right, it didn't feel real and not being accept it hurts. I couldn’t imagine myself being the only person that's gone through that and as I started to open my eyes and looked more into the future, I began to notice that none of this matters. Telling myself “What am I going to get from this?” But I always felt like an outcast just by how I looked or acted. Having a Mexican background and going to a school that deals with little diversity and I sometimes feel that I live in two different worlds and I just have critics everywhere I go. Judging every little thing I do, which can be very baise if another person does the same. But i'm used to it, because i've been dealing with the same situation since I was very little starting school. My Mom and I would have deep conversations on life and she would always say that not a lot of people will like us but that's okay because they don't have to.

Fairfield is divided by three sections. Benton, Millersburg, and New Paris. Living in a neighborhood that again doesn't have whole lot of diversity but I feel like I’m scratching the walls. Which I know that it will take more than one person to break the walls of diversity but at least I know that I’m making my mark. It's even harder for people to understand what others go through just because you're not in their shoes and see what others see. But also we as teens in this generation we are so divided by our differences of opinions of thoughts and At the end of the day that's how I feel. We forget how to love, that's all we need. It's so powerful, that is can bring people together and just having that emotion can change everything in the world we see today.

We all have to remind ourself that we are all unique. We all bring a talent, don't ever think “what if i'm not good enough” or “what if they don't like me” because no one will be like you. Nobody will ever think like you or act like you and I think that's the beauty, that every detail is different about us. I would always have that negative mindset saying that to myself everyday but people in my life that were my friends showed me that it's just how you think, and that it's okay to be different and I was glad to have met them. So shout out to my grads.

It's the people that makes the high school, which we are all going to have highs and lows during high school but as long as you got your friends and family that's all you're gonna need to get you through it. I know that without my friends and family to be by my side I would have never have made it and as long as you have that one person to walk beside you and take on life it's the most amazing thing that a person can do and always having each others backs no matter the cost is and it's the bond that makes them stronger in the end.

ne of my best memories I had going through highschool comes from choir, it was my first time scoring a date. She was my crush since Eighth. It was a Saturday, on March 23 it was also my brothers birthday and I remember this vividly because it was state competition for show choir on that day too. We were at the stands, the announcer was naming places. I turned to her and said that if we won first I would have to take her on a date, she say “okay”. It was a gamble but I just had a good feeling and it felt right, but at the same time the other half of me was very nervous and my mind was like “Oh my gosh we better win because I really want to go on that date with her.” So the announcer named 3rd and I turned to her again and we hugged because I knew in my mind that we already made it and I didn't care if we ended up getting second because I had her and we had a pretty good time and it's the little things that really counts. Then the announcer named second and our hearts dropped, and the first thing that comes to me was that, “ I'm going on that date.” I also scored my first kissed on that day so that's one memory I wouldn't take back.

Growing up as a teen is tough and growing up in this time of age is tougher. I don't what life has in stored for me or know where I'll end up, I don't have everything figured out but everything in life has its reasons. It's crazier to think that we are the next generation to influence and impact the world with the blueprints that we have.but as I learned time changes and the world changes with it. So if I had to give you an advice to follow, it would be to find happiness on what you like doing and if you love it, never stop. You're going to have people and obstacles to try and stop you, but you have to do whats right for you and run with it. Imagine it and reach for it. This has been my life in Fairfield High School.