My first assignment for my Honors English 12 class was to give a speech. Yeah, I kind of dreaded it when the rubric was passed out and we were told we would have to speak in front of the whole class. The assignment was to present two goals you have as an individual, one short-term goal, and one long-term goal. Collective groans.

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At first, I was thinking, oh, this is going to be pretty simple, I have my whole life planned out. I know exactly what I want to do, what I want to be, and where I'll end up. But, surprisingly enough, as I wrote, the assignment wasn't so easy. I realized I don't have control over what will come my way. Immediately, I felt overwhelmed. What if I get rejected from my dream school? What if the future isn't what I want it to be? I felt so alone in that moment, thinking I'm the only one who doesn't have perfect SAT scores and doesn't really understand the whole application process for college.

I wrote down on my outline that I want to be accepted to college (my short-term goal), then establish a successful career for myself (my long-term goal.) I felt confident on it, but at the same time I felt nervous about what the future held. I don't have the slightest idea of what the future holds for me. I felt as though everyone else did, and they had it all planned out.

Soon it was presentation time, and as each person delivered their speech, I noticed a common thread. No one was 100% of the future, and everyone was a bit nervous about what it held. No one had it all figured out. For the first time in my senior year, I realized I wasn't alone. I wasn't alone when I felt overwhelmed with planning and applying, receiving scores and writing essays. I wasn't alone in my yearning to hold on to the time I had left at my high school, wishing it would never end.

It's comforting to know I'm not the only one who feels this way, who feels nervous about what the next step holds. Hearing each individual tell of their dreams, yet also their shared worries, made me realize I'm not the only one.

Soon, I'll be applying to my dream school. I stated in my speech that I may face rejection, but I will try my very best not to fear the unknown, I'll remain positive and have faith that no matter what happens, God has placed me where I need to be.

The next time you doubt yourself or feel tremendously overwhelmed with the to-do list for senior year, remember you aren't alone, we are all nervous, we all don't know everything, but we need to be brave and not let our fear rule us, yet our determination drive us.

I ended my speech with this, and I will end my article with this, "While the future remains unknown, I won't fear it or be scared of it, I plan to run at it, full speed, at whatever lies ahead."