“For the past twelve years of my life school has always been a significant factor in my life. Every day I would go to school, try to get my work turned in on time, talk to my friends, eat lunch and leave. If you would’ve asked me how I feel about school I would’ve said I hate it, but if you were to ask me on a deeper level I would say that I’m truly grateful for all the experiences, lessons, and all amazing people that I’ve met that came along with it. For most of the time I’ve had school. I often balanced it with work since I started working young because of my family business, because of this opportunity I was able to learn about time management and try to balance work, school and having a social life. Unfortunately, this came with a lot of stress and peer pressure when at times I would not have time to do homework or be tired after school and having to go to work right after. Being under constant stress, it took a toll on my mental health and because of me being afraid to talk about it, it made me not look forward to anything anymore. Eventually I’ve made some amazing friends that I could rely on and share my stories too which helped me a lot and they played a part in shaping who I am today.  

For anyone who’s in my shoes or something similar make sure to speak up and talk to somebody about what you’ve been going through whether that’s family, teachers, or friends. We’re all human and there’ll always be good and bad people in this world so make sure it’s someone you trust. Overall, I’m excited to see how life will turn out for me after high-school and into college. For all I know nothing will be too bad if I have a good mindset, my knowledge, buddies, and family that I can rely on whenever I need it,” senior Yi Shao said.