Essay 1

   Graduating high school is one of the most important things in a persons life, especially mine. To me graduating through the line meant more to me then it did to any other seventeen or eighteen year old for one reason and one reason only, to make up for my mistakes in my past and the disappointments I caused to my parents. These mistakes and disappointments were the main motivation in my success to become a high school graduate.

    You may ask, “What disappointments or mistakes could you have caused?”. Well there were many I could tell you about but I would rather give you the main ones, like not graduating Jr. high school, and having to go to summer school. That was the worst thing a person at that age could experience. For some reason as a Jr. high student I felt like no matter how bad your grades were or how bad of a kid you were, you would graduate regardless. Boy was I in for a rude awakening. Even when I was told that I was not going to graduate through the line in Jr. high, I still thought it was all a game and that it was just them trying to scare me. Just when I was thinking I was somewhat invincible, I was actually held back from graduating Jr. high school with all my friends and classmates, and while I was at home watching TV they were at Six Flags having the time of there lives.

    I felt like a total disappointment to my parents when I was that age, it was horrible. At that moment all the little games and my immaturity just went away almost instantly. I was not only ashamed at myself but also at the poor decisions I had made and swore I would not make them again. Eventually I went to summer school and got my Jr. high diploma and was able to start high school at the same time my original classmates did. Starting high school was a whole new thing to me, and was not planning on failure again.

    Throughout my high school years I was an average student, and kept average grades. When I hit about junior year, especially second semester, I started slaking off once again and was getting used to getting home and just playing video games and going out with friend and just procrastinating my work. That all came back to me eventually at the end of Junior year, and I ended up becoming behind credits. Seemed like I was getting an early case of “senioritis” and it was definitely a bit too early. At the end of Junior I was behind credits and was going into senior year on the wrong foot.

    Starting senior year I was back to concentrating and getting back on track with my homework. I was confident more then ever, since as I returned from summer being fifty pounds lighter, and was more determined then ever to be successful.  Instead of being an average senior student, I had great grades, and while everyone was starting to slack off and be lazy I was in my prime and was ready to graduate high school, get a job, and start college. To me, everything seemed like it was going good and I was going to be fine. That is until I got some unexpected news from my high school counselor. It seems like my mistakes were coming back to haunt me again.

    Due to the fact that at the end of junior year I slacked off and ended it behind credits for that year, it made me behind now for credits in senior year. I got an instant flashback of me not graduating Jr. high school. As the counselor advised me that I was behind credits  and may not be able to graduated. When that was told to me, I realized that in life there is never time to slack off or be lazy, that you need to do your work and put one hundred percent into it. As my realization came to me, I was determined now more then ever to prove myself to my parents and show them I could be successful.

    Finally getting back on track, I was taking less elective classes and more classes needed for my high school diploma. It was a sacrifice I needed to make, although I did not want to do that, it was just something needed by me to do. As the last months of high school went by, I was more nervous then any other person could be to find out whether I would be graduating or not. An appointment was set and I was ready to see my counselor to go over graduation. Walking towards the counselors office, many emotions were going through me,  nervousness, confidence, happiness, sadness, and disappointed. While all these emotions were going through my head all I really wanted to know was whether or not I would graduate. Good news came to me and I got the confirmation of me being able to graduate. I was ecstatic! After all I went through I finally did it, I was going to graduate and make my parents proud after disappointing them in the pass!

    As high school came to an end, I was ready to receive my diploma. Before I knew it we were in the gym waiting to take that last walk through the halls we roamed for the past 4 year. Like everyone has said, the feeling of graduating high school is a bittersweet one. This feeling to me was more then bittersweet, I was to busy being so proud of myself and happy as well. Walking down the halls for that one last time meant a lot to me. It was closing a chapter in my life and beginning a new one. Once I received my diploma and handed it to my parents, I was more then happy and was finally feeling accomplished in what I did and what I went through! To conclude, I would like to say high school really taught me a lot and in reality matured me in so much and taught me that with hard work, dedication, and a great personality, you can do anything and be successful in life.