By Bella Egress 

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As a junior in high school, I find myself blessed to have made it through each year of high school. I used to tell myself you only have 3 years left etc., but I never realized how enjoyable high school could be once I got to junior year. Sure, everyone told me “Junior year is the hardest” or “You're going to have so much work”. But no one ever told me that Junior year was a new beginning for me, a chance to grow my circle, meet new people, and grow academically. 

 

This year has been full of challenges, but they’ve pushed me to be more responsible, mature, and confident. I’ve started to focus on my future and the things I want to accomplish. I know I’m only sixteen once, but my future is much closer than I had expected. The pressures of counselors to tour schools and teachers to get our grades up made me realize that even though I’m nearing the end of my junior year, I am nearing closer to what I had never believed would truly happen; graduation. 

 

It’s a mix of excitement and nervousness, but it’s also a time of reflection. Looking back on the struggles, the growth, and the changes, I can see how far I’ve come. Junior year has taught me to push through adversity, trust in the process, and take one step at a time. It’s only when you look back that you realize how much you’ve accomplished—and how much more is still ahead.

 

What I never expected about junior year was how much of it would be about finding balance. From tackling rigorous academics and managing my workload of tests and quizzes to being a leader outside of school in sports and extracurriculars is an important part of maturing and ultimately bettering myself as an individual. While Junior year is hard, I have learned that even when I am stressed about school, I have a lot going for me and extracurriculars to look to. For example, being a part of Conard Current, singing in BSH#arp, and playing field hockey and lacrosse. 

 

However, as I approach the end of my junior year, I feel both grateful and prepared for the next steps in my high school journey. The work might have pushed me harder, but I’ve realized that hard work can be rewarding, especially when it contributes to shaping myself as an individual and future high school graduate.