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Lynelle Reyes

Mrs. Wold

ERWC Period 3

6 March 2022

Graduation Speech Reflection Essay

I'm here today to introduce you to, and hopefully inspire you with, my high school

experience. I arrived at this school with no idea what to expect. It took me four years to fully

comprehend and develop into my most self-aware self. I've never been more humbled than when

I was in high school and thought I could easily swindle my way into Harvard. I'll admit that I

was aware of my potential. However, I never took care of myself, and it appeared that my lack of

self-care and self-priority was my undoing.

I was a standout student since elementary school. I was always one step ahead of my

peers, and school seemed to come naturally to me. My mother would publicize my academic and

extracurricular accomplishments to friends and family via social media. I was assigned to gate

classes and received an honor roll and the Presidential Award. My family had high expectations

for my future based on my performance throughout elementary school.

I came to middle school and performed to the standards that were expected of me. I was

placed in the highest level of math and maintained a 4.0 GPA for the duration of my first year.

However, by 7th grade, I had noticed that I was having difficulty with higher math, which

lowered my GPA. I decided to change the course to a lower, but still accelerated, level.

My academic performance began to deteriorate once I reached high school. My freshman

year, I decided to take two higher level courses and struggled through both of them. I presented

my parents with a report card containing letters they had never seen before. They were
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devastated to see such a drop in my performance. I couldn't understand how I had allowed it to

happen.

My mental health began to deteriorate during my sophomore year. When I approached

my counselor about it, he directed me to the school's social worker. When I told my friends about

my situation, I found out who genuinely cared and who didn't. Fortunately, therapy with her was

helpful in allowing me to express myself and figure out what was causing my mental decline.

Things began to improve after I was able to fully comprehend my situation. Sad to say, the

pandemic had already begun at that point.

Junior year was a challenging period. It was extremely difficult for me to stay motivated

when I was not in a work-dominated environment. I couldn't tell one day from the next; every

day seemed to be the same routine, which was exhausting because going out risked exposing me

to the virus. When I was able to drive and work at the end of junior year, I noticed I gradually

became happier. I didn't understand it at first, but it took some time for me to realize that being

outside and taking the time to enjoy myself, even when I was stressed, was extremely beneficial.

It reduced my anxiety and enabled me to discover activities that significantly improved my

mood, such as dressing up and taking photos of myself. However, I was still not making

academic progress.

My mental health has improved as I enter my senior year. I was overjoyed with the

friends I had surrounded myself with, as well as the activities I could partake in now that I could

drive on my own. My grades appeared to be higher than they had been in previous years. When I

wasn't feeling well, I prioritized going to the gym and doing something enjoyable. I also became

closer to some of my family members. As of now, I am content with my life and the plans I have

for the future.

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What I've realized is that in the past few years when things haven't been going well, I've

spent a lot of time moping and dreading the past and present. I allowed myself to feel helpless. I

also did not seek assistance, instead relying on friends who did not know how to respond to my

desire for validation. Now I understand that I have complete control over how I perceive my life

and how I can improve how I feel.

Unfortunately, my high school performance cannot be reversed. But now I'm on my way

to San Diego City Community College to transfer to a university. I no longer feel hopeless about

my future, and I realize that I'll graduate with the same papers as everyone else. I'm looking

forward to not only being able to attend my dream college, but also to saving money!

I could mope about a lot of things if I wanted to, but now I know there are better ways to

spend my time and better ways to look at life. I understand that life can be unpredictable, but

failure provides opportunities for growth. I'm happy where I am and what I have planned for the

future, and I'm no longer afraid of not knowing what will happen next.