A view on ‘22
2018
then...
Liu
Eighth-grade graduation. Students gather to say goodbye to their middle school, feeling as if they’ve done it all. Little do they know what is in store for them. Throughout their next journey in high school, these young eighth-graders will experience significant social and intellectual changes that will shape the rest of their lives. With less than one year left, the middle school graduating class of 2018 has gone and grown through three full years of high school. Many seniors find themselves reflecting on how they have changed to best set themselves up for success in their final year of the high school world. By the start of senior year, many have learned that they have been able to grow socially and find who they want to be surrounded by and how they will continue to use this knowledge for the entirety of the school year. “As a senior, I found my friends, and I am no longer looking for empty friendships. This year I will focus on academics and friends I can see myself being with long-term goals that will help to make me thrive,” said senior Paige Wellman. A student’s years in high school are core years of age because they are transitioning from childhood to adulthood.
In doing so, these years are essential to social development and will be reflected through the person’s behavior for the entirety of their life. Others acknowledge their social growth but feel held back by the barriers students have encountered over the past years, such as the pandemic. “I have grown socially as my group expanded, but I think to some extent the isolation of the pandemic prohibited a bit of the social growth I may have otherwise experienced over the past few years,” said senior Keani Haake. Although many students have experienced various successes within their high school, others found themselves struggling throughout their high school experiences. Given these struggles, one may have a growth or fixed mindset and choose to learn and grow from these experiences or let them consume people and build a roadblock in their way. According to growthmindset.com, a growth mindset allows one to continue to develop intelligence and skills over time. In
Kasey
Julia Roseborough
18 HIGHLANDER CAMPUS
