It is hard to imagine that there is more to life than what is shown to a student in high school. The routine that a person develops within these four years seem like a never ending cycle. Some students do not want their time in high school to end and others can’t wait to be freed from the walls that most people assume define them as a person. What some people do not realize, until they are out of high school, is that they are still teenagers, and they have the rest of their lives to decide who they want to be.

“In high school, you kind of have your hand held throughout it, and there is a lot more support,” English teacher Cassandra Buchignani said.

Stress is prevalent in every high schooler’s life, whether that is the stress from picking classes, or the stress from deciding what they want to do with the rest of their life. However, after all of that stress comes something seemingly magical: freedom. A student gets to choose, not only what they are going to do but who they are going to be. It is the moment that a student gets to choose what will define them as a person. It seems like a lot of pressure to put on someone so young, but the outcome can be incredible.

It is not easy for someone to decide who they are going to be, and of course, there will be a lot of challenges that each person will have to face. Living in a society where each gender, race and even religion are suppose to have specific roles, can be one of the biggest issues. Stepping out of the shell that someone else molds is like trying to break through a cement wall: it seems impossible, but with a little bit of hard work, it might just be achievable.

Other times, it requires the help of the people in a student’s life to help guide them to make the right decision. For some students, it is hard to imagine that parents know what they are talking about when it comes to finding themselves, but they may be pleasantly surprised to find out that parents have experiences and life stories that could be beneficial for young people. Before technology and social media was around to tell teenagers who and what they should be, parents had to decide for themselves what the next step in their lives was going to be. It might do everyone a little good to ask their parents for help along this thrillful journey to finding themselves.

“It took the people I love and who care about me to help keep me on track and stay focused on my dreams,” physical education teacher Julia Wieda said.

In a world where everyone is constantly trying to find themselves, it can seem very difficult to know what direction to follow. The path may seem like a maze that has no end, but there is almost always a light at the end of the tunnel; it just requires a little bit of effort and a hopeful eye to become that person that everyone is destined to be.