High school is scary. Making friends is scary, maintaining good grades is scary, competing is scary— but we are all going through the four years. The most important piece of advice I can give in high school is take chances, allow yourself to meet new people, make mistakes— it’s all a part of your growth throughout New Trier. When I started high school, I imagined that every mistake I made would lead me down an irreversible life path, when in reality, by not trying new things I only hurt my experience. Buried in homework, I made up excuses in order to avoid trying challenging classes and new clubs, worried I wouldn’t be able to fit in and meet new people- but as I grew I learned to understand that everyone is worried about making the first move, even though everyone wants to make friends. I was intimidated by the sheer amount of new faces, but as I opened up, I became friends with people from all different backgrounds and interests, learning that they are all way more similar than different. Albeit, there will always be people that don’t like you or don’t share the same interests, yet, there are so many more that will add to your life. As I near the end of senior year, I wish I had the time to know the people I never took the chance to really meet; so, take the first step: introduce yourself to new people, try new clubs, and make mistakes- as I have made my fair share. The worst thing you could do is to stop yourself from taking advantage of new opportunities. New Trier’s large population can be intimidating, so make a large school feel small. High school is such a short, but transformational time in your life, make the most of it because it will be over before you know it.