Sophomore slump

Yet despite the frequency of such situations the opportunities that follow are rarely mentioned. When examined closely it becomes obvious that failure is simply the mask of success. One example of challenge to triumph is Michael Jordan. As a sophomore in high school he was cut from the varsity basketball team. At the time it may have been humiliating, but that painful rejection caused Michael to work harder than ever before. According to Ruby Smith, a physical education teacher at the same…

At the beginning of my junior year of McNeil High School I qualified to be on varsity and was put into the varsity soccer class for one month. I trained with the returning varsity players and learned from our varsity coach. However, at the term of that month I had received a statement that I did not have the capability to become a varsity player and would be moved down to junior varsity. This remains as one of the toughest setbacks that I have faced in my life. Due to this failure, I joined a…

Working on the HHS Band leadership team has been one of the most difficult but rewarding jobs of my high school career. My junior year I was selected as the clarinet co-section leader with another one of my good friends Laura. Both of us are very strong and confident leaders, so throughout the marching band season, there was a bit of a power struggle. We didn't know how to properly balance our authority in the group to command equal respect, and we didn't know how to work as a team. Through my…

pretty good grades ranging from b’s to c’s I passed all my classes. That summer I hanged out with bad influences around me and my sophomore year I did horrible. I only passed four classes. This made me realize that I needed to make a change in my school lifestyle. My parents were disappointed in me this was one of the things that helped me change. My summer after my sophomore year something happened that changed my mindset. I decided I want to do something with life after high school but, I…

uneventful, however I did join a club that would later grow to be one of my greatest passions, C.A.G.E. the drama club here at Maquoketa High School. I was enjoying my life and enjoying high school, however things were not destined to stay this way. My sophomore year saw a downward spiral of my mental health, what I originally simply chalked up to being simply a, “moody…

One of my leadership experiences would be mentoring young people to set a goal in life. Setting a goal to the young people I mentor, benefited themselves. These young people were in eighth grade and I taught them that in high school, you need to have a goal in their lives because they needed to look forward to something. The best part about mentoring these eighth graders were seeing their face expressions. Another leadership experience was leading my volleyball team to the championship round on…

has also helped me grow as a person. I’ve learned how to interact better with people because of band; I’ve also learned how to be an effective leader by being in the William Blount High School Band. I auditioned to be a drum major at the end of my sophomore year. Thankfully, I was awarded the position of pregame drum major. My senior year I auditioned again and I became a halftime…

An experience that changed my life forever was coming to Northwest Christian for high school. Before I attended Northwest I spent all of elementary school and middle school at Rancho Solano. Although my time there was great, it was taught in a strictly academic worldview. Then during my eighth grade year, I made the decision to enroll in Boulder Creek High School. I began to get nervous because of the change in size, but then I started to embrace the idea of change. Over the last six months…

Samantha Douglas Mr. Smith Opt Out Paper 21 April 2016 This season was the last one of my career. I have played lacrosse for four years and this is my twelfth athletic season. It is a bittersweet experience and I will miss high school sports immensely and I am glad I have stuck with it all four years. I feel like being an athlete has helped me in so many aspects of my life. It definitely helped me be a better student and be above other students as a prospect to colleges. An average week for…

As my high school career is winding down, I take time to reflect on the last four years of my life. I think of how my attitude and personality has changed since the beginning of freshman year. I think of all the people I met and how they impacted my life. I think of the fun times, but also the hardships I endured. Most importantly, I think of what I learned-in my worst of times, when nothing has gone my way, God has a plan. My four short years in high school will forever hold some of the…