The Power of the Individual

Four short years ago, I was a quiet, shy, awkward girl who was not prepared for high school. Coming from a middle school graduating class of just under 50 kids (most of whom I had known since age 5), I had never felt like such a stranger in such an unknown place.

Four years later, I can now say I am no longer quiet or shy (the awkward part, however, I’m not too sure about). Growing up in a community like Libertyville High School has largely shaped who I am, and while I hope that these past four years have not been the “best four years of my life,” they’ve been meaningful, and I’m proud to say that I truly gave them my all until the very end.

While everyone will (and should) have their own high school experience, I do believe there are a few things every student should keep in mind.

There is no one on this planet who is quite like you. The cool thing about being an individual is the fact that you are an individual; you have your own opinions, your own thoughts, your own interests, your own sense of style, your own aspirations and your own individual view on this world.

One of the hardest parts of high school (at least for me), was finding out how to be an individual in a crowd full of people who all seem to be the same. What I have learned is that people are sort of like cattle; if you’ve ever been in a crowd, you’ve likely followed the way the crowd moves without a second thought, simply because that’s the way the crowd is moving. High school is sort of like a crowd and the people are like cattle — they all try to wear the same clothes and keep up with the latest trends; they follow friends to the same extracurriculars; they go to parties because their peers are; and they spend time on things they don’t care about in order to “fit in.”

While the above statements are not true of every single student, I think it’s fair to say they’re true for a lot of us. Being an individual is scary. I, however, cannot express how important the power of the individual is. You have interests and viewpoints and passions that make you entirely you, and that is something you should never try to get rid of. One of the most important parts of these four years is that you are finding yourself and exploring who you are as an individual. You cannot do that simply by following the path of others.

You have to take risks. Lots and lots of risks. Most things worth doing aren’t within your comfort zone, and the best way to learn is by doing something that completely scares you. Maybe that means trying out for the school play, standing up for a kid in the halls, or asking someone to a school dance. While terrifying, I promise you that even if it ends terribly, you will come out a better, wiser person.

Building on who you are as an individual, you have a voice. That voice belongs to you and only you, and no one has the right to tell you that your thoughts and opinions are invalid (unless you’re bringing harm to others). Your voice is so powerful, and it’s imperative that over these four years you find your voice. While not always loud, your voice is constantly speaking to you. Your voice is not only verbal, though. It’s something you have inside of you. It tells you the difference between what feels right and what feels wrong, and what you love to do more than anything. Always listen to your voice and never be afraid to use it. If you’re ever scared to say something, that means it’s worth saying.

Enough about the individual, though. At LHS, there are about 2,000 other individuals among you, and you should be thankful for each and every one of them. In understanding that you have your own thoughts, opinions, stories and struggles, so does everyone around you. Your teachers show up every day to give you a powerful tool: knowledge. Your peers show up every day and contribute to the larger community that is full of students with potential. Your custodians, IT workers, administrators, cafeteria workers, resource center managers, counselors, LST secretaries, security guards, deans, PAWS faculty members, substitute teachers and main office staff come to school every day to ensure that you are having the best possible experience. What these people do and the community that they create is something you should never take for granted. It’s never a bad time to say thank you, and you never know how showing the smallest amount of gratitude can make someone’s day.

There’s truthfully no list of advice I can provide that will give you the “perfect” high school experience, but what I’ve found to be so important is that you’re true to yourself. Being true to yourself means that you never stop finding your voice, you never give up on your passions, you are always willing to take risks and that you appreciate the people who help make you successful. Whatever grade you are in, here’s to discovering “you.”