Things I've Learned

Things I’ve Learned

I have learned a lot throughout this four year journey; more than just the Pythagorean Theorem and how to justify if a sentence is a fragment or a run-on. I’ve learned that positive attitudes towards the people around me can get me further than any of my talents can. I've learned that with hard work and determination I can accomplish any goal I set. I've learned that words really do matter. I've learned to believe in myself and to have confidence. I’ve learned that happiness is a choice. I've learned to be accepting to the people around me.  But most importantly within these four years, I have faced challenges through family experiences, through school work, and through my busy schedule; all in which have taught me how to be the independent, self motivated, and responsible young woman I am today.

High school is preparation for the “real-world”. The place where each person is held accountable for each and every decision you make. High school is there to prepare people, by facing them with the challenges and experiences that will ultimately impact their whole life. We are all put under different circumstances that affect the way we learn and the way we act. In my home, both my parents worked out of town and my brother, sister, and I stayed home alone. When my brother graduated and moved to Oregon for college my mom hired a nanny because she didn’t want child services to take us away. Though nothing bad was happening in our home, people were still concerned and didn’t agree with my mom’s parenting decisions. This concern grew when my mom divorced my step-dad and was forced to work a full time job in Twin Falls, so that she could support us kids as a single mom. All through high school my siblings and I learned one lesson through these circumstances: to be an independent responsible young adult.

Having my mom gone for the majority of my high school years was something difficult to handle, at times. I had to learn to motivate myself to be successful, to cook for myself, to manage my time, to get my homework done on my own time, and to watch over my sister and make sure I am setting the example for her. My mom has put me under special circumstances that have forced me to ‘grow-up’ and be independent at a young age. It is a trait I will be lucky to have as a freshman in college. 

With being independent came, self motivation. Something I have always had, when given the option between an honors class and a regular class, I chose honors because I believed in myself. I am not a straight A student, but I have taken the harder classes because I wanted that challenge, and I have learned so much from the people and teachers in those classes. Two teachers that have taught me the most at Blackfoot High School are Layne S. Gardner and Holly Kartchner, which seems to be a common statement from the students that have graduated as a bronco. These teachers care about their students. They have taught me to “expect more to achieve more.” They have shown me the support that my mom wasn’t there to give me. Mr. Gardner told a story about our class reunions that I will never forget. It was something like, “In ten years some of you will be married, some will be divorced, some might be dead or in prison, and some might be doctors.” The moral of his story was that we are accountable for our future and in order to achieve our dreams, we must motivate ourselves. He taught us that we our accountable and responsible for our futures and learning to be responsible is something that takes time and practice.

            I have achieved that time and practice her at Blackfoot High. I participated in student council as class president both freshman and sophomore years, and when I wasn’t elected junior year I was sure to pass my ideas over to the next officers. I was a cheerleader and a broncadette, holding leadership roles in both as game captains, practice captains, and as secretary. I am in Interact Club and help hold fundraisers for good causes. I held the title “Miss Blackfoot’s Outstanding Teen” sophomore year. I have had a job consistently throughout high school, anything from teaching dance to taking orders at Taco Bell. Lastly, I danced at a local studio all through high school. Being busy has become my lifestyle, and with that I have learned to be responsible and manage my time wisely. Without that responsibility I wouldn’t have been successful in any areas of my life. Benjamin Franklin once said, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” There is so much truth behind those words and without the opportunities I have been blessed with in high school I wouldn’t understand the importance of being responsible by creating a schedule, and carrying a planner.

            Independence, self motivated, and responsibility are all traits I have achieved through high school. The experiences I have had have shaped my character and affected my outlook on life. I’ve learned that positive attitudes towards the people around me can get me further than any of my talents can. Teachers, mentors, and bosses want to work with someone who is positive and someone who is willing to listen and learn. They would much rather work with a Taylor Smiddy who is mediocre at what she does, but she has a positive attitude toward learning and being instructed than a Taylor Smiddy who might be the best at what she does, but won’t take the time to consider what anyone else has to say. I've learned that with hard work and determination I can accomplish any goal I set. I have seen this in my life many times, with small goals and big goals. “Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.”  I've learned that words really do matter. What I say is the determination of the respect that I get. If I speak like a child I will get treated like a child. I've learned to believe in myself and have confidence. Self determination and motivation will get me so further in life. If I don’t have faith that I can achieve whatever goal I might have, I won’t do it. I’ve learned that happiness is a choice. I decide if I am going to smile or frown.  I decide whether I will see the positive in each and every day or if I will focus on the negative. Finally, I've learned to be accepting to the people around me. I never know what they are going through or what circumstances they have had and do have.

            “High school is preparation for the “real-world”. The place where you are accountable for each and every decision you make.” I have learned characteristics that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. It is fair to say that I am lucky to have learned how to be independent, self motivated, and responsible through family experiences, through school work, and through my busy schedule. If there is one thing, I wouldn’t change graduating as a bronco for anyone or anything else in the world.