Hi, I am Michaela Powell and I officially made it through my first year of high school here at Arapahoe High School! Going into Arapahoe I was scared because I was completely starting over; I had to make new friends, I was in a new district, there was Covid, and I literally did not know anyone. I had to rebuild myself from the bottom which I saw as a good but difficult task. I had been going to the same school my whole life (SkyView Academy) so this was a big change. But if I learned anything this year is that change is very good and very healing. 

If you are like me, and starting all over and looking for advice, I want to give you advice from what I have learned. It is definitely scary. I mean from an extremely shy person with extreme social anxiety, that is an underestimate. But here’s the thing: you shouldn’t be scared. Everything works out in the end and I wish I could tell my past self that. Stepping out of your comfort zone is hard but talk to others and branch out. Some ways that I made personal connections was through clubs like Student Council. When you’re involved in activities you can meet many new people and have a common interest with them. Find some things you have in common (you wouldn’t believe this but I actually made my first friend from having a scoliosis condition and they did too). So, finding random things you guys share in common can make a difference. Remind yourself it will be terribly awkward the first couple times hanging out (believe me I wanted to run away from them because it was weird) but keep working towards that friendship. Going to social events like homecoming and going shopping can help make a stronger bond between you guys. 

It isn’t going to be a piece of cake. This year I did have my struggles but sometimes you have to take the bad in life and make it something new. I had to learn through my struggles and truly I became even stronger. Don’t give up when it’s hard and have hope. I had struggled with someone this year and I thought I would lose everything. But once I let go of the negativity I gained more from it. Be adventurous and learn through your mistakes.

Don’t procrastinate! Everyone says this but this will be the most useful advice I give you. Getting ahead will always make you stronger in school and eventually lead to less stress and more free time. With Covid and the weird schedules we had this year I definitely procrastinated a lot which led to added stress. Get it done early and you won’t have anxiety all week. 

Reach out to friends and teachers for help. This is kind of a given but I remember being scared asking for help and would put all the stress I had about the assignment on me. When I did finally have the courage to ask for help I ended up learning so much more! 

Honestly push yourself this year. I signed up for some challenging classes that were required and also some that would take my academics to the next level. Start now and get it over with so in the future you can thank yourself for getting it done with. Push yourself to meet new people. Meeting one person can lead you to more people that leads to even more!! Try to join groups and branch out, you will get a better high school experience. 

Lastly, remember this year is about change. The friend group you have now might change around throughout the year to form your permanent group. A change in environment is scary but trust me it can be life saving and healing. Going from a middle schooler who doesn’t have to worry about their current tasks for the future, to a high schooler who does is hard! But trust me this change will help you grow into a much stronger person. If I learned anything from this year, it’s to take risks and challenge myself. I encourage you to do the same.