Sarah Vafiadis, Period 1, 5/31/22

Goal Setting & Growth

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

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

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

WARNING: This got unexpectedly sappy at the end. I apologize in advance for the corniness.

We have officially made it through the worst of senior year. We survived college applications and AP season, so hypothetically the work should be over. It’s not – there are still assignments to complete, but not nearly to the same degree as a few weeks ago. Even so, my goal right now is to enjoy my last moments of high school as much as possible. As I am writing this, we have exactly 7 days of school left. It’s hard to believe that high school is actually coming to a close – losing a year-and-a-half can do that. I feel like I have worked hard enough at this point, and I want to appreciate the time that I have left with my friends as much as possible.

I still have tangible goals, of course. I have a never-ending list of college-related tasks –  between keeping track of forms, selecting classes, and figuring out what I need for my dorm, I certainly have my hands full. Surprisingly, even with the amount that I have to undertake over the summer, I’m not stressed. Perhaps it’s because I finally feel like I’m not completely overwhelmed by school, or maybe it’s because college doesn’t feel quite real yet, but either way, I’m not complaining. I also need to find a job for the summer. I absolutely loved my job as a camp counselor last summer, but it was extremely exhausting and time-consuming, and I would enjoy a break this summer. I have been putting off calling a local preschool to see if they need help over the summer, but hopefully, I will be able to work part-time with children somewhere, even if it’s just babysitting.

I’m an ambivert – sometimes I lean introverted, and other times I lean extroverted, but generally when it comes to making spontaneous plans I always say no. Usually, it was because I was always busy, but now that I have the time, I’m trying to say yes more often. As a highly structured person, this is definitely pushing me outside of my comfort zone, but I find that I am enjoying it. I think it’s easier for me to make these choices because I have grown so much more comfortable with my friends over the past few months. I considered us close at the beginning of the year, but I’ve learned that a year-and-a-half of remote learning served as a massive social barrier. Even just seeing them in class every day has caused us to grow so much closer, something that I am greatly appreciative of. It’s unfortunate that this has happened right as we are departing our separate ways for college, but nonetheless, I’m grateful for everything that has happened this year. There’s a quote from Always and Forever: Lara Jean by Jenny Han (the third book in the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogy – it’s one of my favorite book series ever) that feels fitting:

“When I’m old and gray, I will look back on this night, and I will remember it just as it was. Is. We’re still here. It’s not the future yet.”

Graduation feels like the end, but I know that it’s not. We still have this summer, and winter break, and all the summers that come after this. I will mourn all the smaller friendships formed between classes that will likely dissipate once the school year ends, but I have faith in my friends and I know that everything will turn out fine.