By: Alyssa Haider, DHS Senior Student
I can definitely say freshman me did not expect my high school years to go the way they did, nor would they teach me as much as they did.
As a freshman, I knew I wanted to be involved in many activities. I was already serving as a North Dakota Technology student association state officer, I was on student council, and I was in my 11th year of dance. Though I was thoroughly involved in my school and community, I was very shy and didn’t know how to express my ideas. Freshman year taught me that my thoughts and ideas have value.
The last quarter of my sophomore year definitely did not go as planned. Our national TSA Conference was canceled, the student council couldn’t host any activities, and my dance competition season came to a crashing halt. Though this time was filled with many uncertainties and letdowns, it sparked a passion within me for the activities I did, and I knew I would not take them for granted again. My sophomore year and the time at home taught me nothing good comes from complaining and inspired me to look at life through a lens of positivity.
Next came junior year. We began with school every other day and still had a lot of unknowns. Regardless, I was very grateful to be back in school with my classmates, and my teachers face to face. Junior year was an absolute blur of ACTs, AP tests, and college classes. I learned how to better manage my time, and I learned what my real priorities were. Junior year challenged me in ways I had never been challenged before. I was a large part of planning the first-ever virtual national TSA conference. Student council constantly pushed boundaries and challenged ourselves to keep our students interested and involved, all while six feet apart. This year taught me anything worth doing shouldn’t be easy.
Finally came senior year. I don’t think freshman me could have ever understood how fast my high school years would fly by. Of course, I had been told to savor my high school years multiple times by multiple people, but it never really sank in. Before I knew it, it was my homecoming, last state conference, and last school dance. My Senior year taught me how to cherish and savor moments because they come and go so quickly.