Daniel Briskman, Period 1, 2/10/22

Daniel Briskman, Period 1, 2/10/22


Goal Setting & Growth

At this current point in time, what specific goal(s) do you have for yourself? Why?


Now that college applications are over and my first semester grades are in, most of my goals revolve around my extracurricular passions and making the most of my senior year. This year I’m captain of the boys table tennis team, and we’ve had an amazing season so far—tomorrow we’re playing in the city semifinals! I want to savor the last moments I’ll have of my high school table tennis career.

Luckily, SING! season is starting up again, which I’m looking forward to. Performing is a big passion of mine, and SING! also gives me an opportunity to spend time with my friends, which is something I haven’t been able to do much this year (and something I definitely want to prioritize from now on). I’ve just been so busy with college applications, schoolwork, and extracurricular that social interaction has felt like another chore on top of that. My favorite place to go with my friends used to be Five Below; I loved spending hours mindlessly wandering around the store with my friends, admiring the curious trinkets, even without actually buying anything. So, my goal is to go to Five Below again with my friends and put more effort into spending time with them in general.

Lastly, in my AP Computer Science class, I’m working on a huge 5 month-long team project, and it’s been really fun and beneficial (I’m also glad to be the team captain). We’ve been making great progress so far, and it’s become something important to me since I’ve been a part of it from its inception. Therefore, my goal for that is to have an impressive final product to be proud of.


How do you demonstrate resilience towards achieving this goal? (or these goals?)


One major way I’ve demonstrated resilience towards achieving my goals is in my time management. Through careful planning, organization, and discipline, I’ve been able to make time for my extracurricular activities (table tennis, piano, computer science internship, volunteering) while still maintaining my grades and doing college applications. Along those lines, I’ve also stayed highly dedicated to all of my activities, especially table tennis, which I’ve put extra effort into because the team is precious to me. I made an Instagram account to promote the team and a Discord account for better team communication, and I make sure to spend time giving my team members personal advice on their technique during each practice. My goal has been to be a good leader and guide for our new team members, since our previous season was lost due to Covid. I think that I’ve accomplished that goal, and I’m confident that next year’s team will be just as successful as this year’s.


How does the world around you affect your perception of this goal? (or these goals?)


I would say that my friends have been a great help to me over these past few months in regards to my goals. They’re all so supportive and encouraging; they helped me whenever I was confused with college applications, they congratulate me whenever the table tennis team wins a match, and they inspire me to care about mental health and make time for fun. In the first half of the school year, I admired how they regularly met up after school even during the chaos of college applications, and without them, I might have completely given up on maintaining a social life. Going forward, I wish to spend as much time as I can with them because, ultimately, they are what makes my highschool experience special.