Since I was a sophomore in high school, I knew that one day this is where I would begin my career. I want to help students my age during the hardest time of their lives. My goal has been to become a guidance counselor and more recently to teach as well. I want to spend the rest of my life with the people that America has deemed "unruly," "difficult" and "overly emotional."
High school was not always the best time for me. I spent a good amount of time feeling lonely and stressed. I was not sure of who I was and who I wanted to be. I refused to get involved because of the things my friends told me. I cared way too much about what people thought of me. I struggled academically and often felt that I was not smart enough. I had friends who had more severe problems and faced worse struggles, daily.
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As I walked the halls and went from class to class, I always wished that someone would notice my abilities and tell me that I was enough. I wanted my teachers to see how hard I worked even if my test grades did not show that. I wanted people to see how successful I was outside of school. I wanted to share my experiences, but I thought that no one was listening.
I wanted nothing more but to be perused by someone who really cared what was going on in my life. Thankfully, I had a very supportive family and a close church community. But, I couldn't help but think about my classmates that did not have what I was blessed enough to have.
When I walk through the doors of a high school and see all the students, I know that I have a place. Sure high school students are not the easiest to deal with, but they have so many stories to tell. I do not want to change someone's mind about how great high school is, but I want them to believe in themselves enough to graduate.
I want to be someone that I wish I had when I was in high school. If I can make a difference in just one student's life, then I know that this was the right path for me. I do not think that this will be easy or not heart breaking, but I do think that it will be rewarding beyond compare and humbling. I want to be a voice for the people who are shouting and not being heard.
