20 Reflections from a 2020 Grad

Welcome back to Peridot Cove! It's so great to be back and see that our community is flourishing. Between starting my first semester of college to navigating through the pandemic, blogging took a backseat. Now that I am more settled into (virtual) college life and in light of my high school graduation, I'm using winter break to work on bettering myself. One aspect of this goal involves returning to Peridot Cove. This is what the photo above represents to me: Peridot Cove is a space to document the path I am about to take and the journey that will follow.

The biggest life lesson COVID-19 has taught me? To never take the little moments in life for granted. To close off this year, here are 20 highlights from my high school career - the moments  I will never forget, in no particular order:

1. Mock Trial: In my freshman history class, we did a mock trial on the actions of Napoleon Bonaparte. It was the first long-term high school project I participated in, and through it, I discovered my love for hands-on, collaborative learning. 
2. Finding My Voice: In high school, I dabbled in Speech and Debate. Advancing to States in Original Oratory heightened my confidence and sharpened my public speaking skills.
3. A Non-Traditional Graduation: As someone who had dreamed of graduation day for years, I was heartbroken when I found out we would not have a traditional ceremony due to COVID-19. However, our experience turned out to be so special! The outpouring of support from the community was unimaginable, and when graduation day came around, I was the happiest I could've possibly been.
4. Hall of Fame: At the end of my senior year, I found out that I was inducted into my school's Student Hall of Fame! The day I found out I was selected was one of the best of my life. 
5. APUSH: I was recently asked what my favorite day of high school was. The day I took my AP US History exam sticks out for many reasons. Before the exam, we gathered in our classroom, listened to pump-up music, and hyped ourselves up. The feeling in the air after closing our exam books was incredible. My friends and I went out to breakfast afterward, and we continued to make history puns for days.
6. Discovering My Passions: I discovered that I love to work with children and give back to my community through volunteering and mentorship.
7. HOBY: Through my time as a delegate at the HOBY leadership conference, I learned about types of leadership and building a personal brand! I also met some of the coolest students and mentors around.

8. My First Job: Senior year, I landed my first job. Although I was one of the youngest on the team, all my coworkers were so welcoming and made me feel right at home. 
9. Applying to College: College admissions are stressful, but the thrill of receiving your decisions is exhilarating. I am currently attending the school from which I got my first acceptance! 
10. Improving My Spanish: I ended up taking Spanish through my senior year and got a score of 5 on my AP exam! As a senior project, I got to interview a native speaker from the Dominican Republic! Although I am still working on fluency, I surprised myself with how much I could understand. 
11. Becoming Politically & Socially Aware: This transpired as my understanding of the world developed alongside my critical thinking skills. Following the 2016 presidential election, I authored a research paper on media's role in modern feminism.
12. High School Dances: High school dances are coming-of-age staples! While we couldn't have a senior prom, one of my favorite memories is of dancing the night away with my friends at junior prom.

 

13. Literature: My junior-year English class exposed me to the expanse of American literature. Several of these pieces opened my eyes to new perspectives and periods in history. 
14. Journalism: Sophomore year, I took a journalism class that exposed me to the process of interviewing, reporting, and news writing. Through crafting my own pieces and exploring other journalistic works, I grew invested in the field and plan to stay involved throughout college.
15. Yearbook Editor-in-Chief: This was the high school activity that brought me the most joy. Not only did I get to play a part in preserving the history of my school, but I got to integrate my love for content creation with an incredible leadership opportunity. There is no better feeling than holding a fresh-off-the-press yearbook that you have poured your heart and soul into.
16. Giving Back: Through various organizations, I volunteered in and around the community. My most memorable experience was organizing a community food drive with my friends to support families in need during the holiday season.
17. Building Relationships: With 100% certainty, the teachers, friends, and mentors I met along the way were the best part of my high school career.
18. Improving My Writing: Throughout high school, I wrote both personal reflections/poetry and academic papers that I am proud of.
19. Travel Adventures: I got to see sights like the Liberty Bell and the Ellis Island Museum! As a history lover, I was so excited to visit places I'd only ever read about!

20. Finding Joy: Although my senior year was unexpectedly cut short, distance learning forced me to break out of my comfort zone and find the joys in the little things in life. Most notably, I got to spend lots of quality time with my family.

This post was so fun to put together. I plan to share lots of new content this year, so I hope you will join the Peridot Cove family! What are your end-of-year reflections? 

Happy New Year! ♡