"Excuse me, why is the yearbook not in color?"

A woman (presumably a mom) stands before me, mouth slightly agape, eyes squinted in scrutiny and hands planted on her hips as she awaits a response. Clearly, she was not in the mood to have a cordial conversation.

I'm taken back, but try my best to devise an answer.

"If there was to be a colored yearbook, it'd be more expensive," I reply, handing her a yearbook order form. Unsatisfied with what I said, she huffs and walks away.

It's Back to School Night at my high school, and I was in attendance as The Yearbook Club's Co-President, and foremost representative that evening. Throughout the event, I solicited the doorway of the gymnasium giving out order forms and addressing parents' concerns, many of which revolved around pricing and payment deadlines. However, the most-asked question still remained the colorless yearbook. It has always been a detail that seemed to derail many parents' sanity throughout the years, but until that evening, I didn't realize the magnitude of the issue.

Still, I was annoyed. Each time a parent asked the infamous question, I provided them the same response as I gave that mom earlier that evening, and they'd react in the same manner as she had. After all, why would they be willing to pay more?

But I also realized that if this is such a major issue among the masses, then it must be a pressing one. So, I brought the concern to my club adviser, following which I held an open forum with the club members at the following meeting. We decided to go through with the color yearbook. We got a Jostens Yearbook representative to visit our club, and were able to negotiate for full color at the same price.

For the first time in our high school's history, there was a colored yearbook. And for the first time in my history, I realized the power I had to provoke change.

Now that I'm in college, I'm in a much larger-sized community than that of my high school, but I still aim to seek out the needs of others. For instance, I hold a peer mentorship position that allows me to host one-on-one interactions with incoming international students in order to help them integrate into American society. I wanted to take on this role because I know firsthand that it's oftentimes a tough transition, and I want to ensure they go through it with ease. As their leader, I must be an active listener, and provide them with the right advice and resources.

Looking back, this has become one of the most pivotal moments in my life thus far. I've learned that the first steps to seeking solutions to problems are to recognize and listen, and the best way to do so is by having face-to-face connections.

I'm thankful for what my high school experience has taught me, and I look forward to the life skills I'll gain as I continue being the change I wish to see in the world.