My High School Experiences

There I was with 2 wins and on my way to the semi-finals. Only 2 of my teammates had made it that far. My first opponent the next day would be Bryce. As our team left the Pepsi Center and started heading for our hotel, there were some people disappointed and some proud of how we had wrestled. We got to our hotel and got settled in with

I came to the bench breathing heavy and tired. They congratulated me on the goal, but with a tie game there was still a job to

The morning was exciting, because when I saw my teammates who have been there with me from the beginning for the past three years, I felt pride and confidence of us. After eating, we were on our way to the Ramstein Softball fields to make history. Before every championship game, it has to be narrowed to the final two. In our pool, it was Aviano versus Sigonella. It was not going to be an easy game. We struggled a bit, but the team made it through and won with a score of 13-7. Coach Cadena and Knight had that proud smile, but they knew who we were facing next. They talked to us to set our minds focusing on the next game. We

The red curtains open to reveal a blinding bright spotlight and a packed arena. Getting to the National Championship an immense amount of preparation. We had two minutes in front of the judges. We put our hands in the middle of our circle. For the last time of the season, we chanted “LHS cheer!”, and then we were off. The crowd was silent with anticipation. The routine felt like second nature and we ended up doing well. We made it to finals and ultimately took fourth place in the nation. It the first time in five years that our team had placed. It was a long journey getting to this point.

“I thought I would never see you again” I said, tears forming in my eyes. Soon everyone in my family did a group hug. We soon made it back home safe and sound.

It seemed as if we were running in circles until suddenly I stopped running just outside the three point line. Suddenly open, the pass was thrown to me and the clock started. Sweat dripping, I hoisted up the shot just before a body of players converged on me. The moment the shot left my hand, I knew it would go in. I turned around, shocked at how we had come back from what was surely defeat. I marveled at how we were able perform such an unforgettable feat. I turned back around just in time to view my shot sink through the net as if the net was nonexistent. The crowd exploded. Then, reality dawned on me. “We won,” I shrieked as loud as possible. Immediately I rushed over to the bench and my waiting teammates before dunking the whole carton of Gatorade on Coach Drew. It felt as if it were a dream. Of course, before celebrating, we went to go thank the other team for such a wonderful game. As soon as we did that, the party was

The most crucial hour of my day was coming to an end, but before we could go home our coaches made us all come into a huddle. The smell of sweaty boys, the roar of the crowd, and the sweet taste of victory—which tasted suspiciously like super-chocolatey brownies—was all I could bring in. Normally after our games, our coach would talk for 10 or 15 minutes about what we could have done better, but this time he said only one thing to us in that huddle: “Well boys, this is definitely a day to

As Madison crossed the finish line in first place, the whole crowd went wild. There were screaming parents and crying athletes who had just won a first place state title. I looked at my teammates and said under my breath to them, “It’s our time to shine now.” We all stood up, wished each other luck, and then reported to our assigned leg.

All of us were in shocked we did not stand up and cheer, or congratulated to the team that beat us. We just stood there mouths wide open, no words came

We’re at our last game before we go to state. Five minutes left in the game I feel my leg start to hurt. Before you know it I was pushed and felt my back of my ankle rip. I tore my ACL. It was devastating that I had to go sit out. Thirty seconds left we are down by 2 points. My teammate shoots down the court and slays for the three pointer….. SWOOOSH and were going to state for the 2nd time in a row.

Standing on the starting line, heart was pounding, nerves were running, expectations were high, the sound of the gun could not have come any quicker. Waiting in the blazing sun, I could feel the sweat dripping down my face. Time felt like it was at a standstill, just then, boom! The race was underway on this four lap journey around the track. Silence surrounded me as I ran in a sold out stadium, my thoughts drowned out the coaches and spectators. The speech my coach gave me before the race was on constant replay in my head. “This is your time. You will be district champ. There is no one standing in the way of you and your dreams, except yourself.” When I came around the turn, I could see my team in the stands cheering me on. There was pure joy on their faces as I took the lead and began to take off for the last lap. There was half a lap to go when the race took a turn for the worst. My stomach began to turn in knots, my breathing was getting heavier, and my strides were shortening. I could sense my competitors coming up behind me, I knew that if I could not stay in front, I would lose. Eventually they caught up to me and I just tried to stay with them, however, I began to fade. I crossed the finish line in third place. I looked up and could see my coach with his head down in disappointment, I let him down. My season had come to an end that day, and I

When we arrived, I felt myself shaking, pacing, and staring at the floor as a last attempt to do whatever I could to keep it together. We walked through the front door into a house filled with people. Right past the entrance was a table covered in bouquets. That was it! All I could take, and it hit again, the tears, shaking,

It was time to take the group photo with our trophy. The team gathered in rows and smiled. We took one holding up a one for first place and then with a double U for the win. Then the fan section surrounded us for a group photo. After we took individual photos and the crowd calmed down, we loaded the bus to return to Eureka in victory. We were escorted

A tradition at my high school for the senior class is choosing a city to spend a few days in before graduation. My class chose to go to Baltimore, Maryland. We had an action packed four days going to Adventure Park USA, Six Flags, The National Aquarium, a Baltimore Orioles game, The Smithsonian Zoo, and shopped around downtown Baltimore. I became close with classmates I rarely talked with throughout high school and saw a different side of them than what I had seen in the classrooms. My small circle of friends became even closer over the course of the week both individually and spiritually. My senior class trip to Baltimore was a memorable trip, a little chaotic, but it brought us closer together.

I started high school in September of 2014 and I was still trying to adjust country because I had moved from Guyana to the U.S.A. I faced many challenges when starting new school but nothing could be compared to my experiences with Algebra. I remembered I had Algebra 1 (5th period). As I walked down the long, noisy hallway decorated with posters that held announcements surrounded by white and purple walls, all I can think of is going to my class. I was nervous and I could feel beads of sweat forming on my forehead and shivers running up my spine like the speed of light. I stop for a minute. I have arrived at the Algebra and slowly walked into the class to the back debating if I should just run out of class and go to the counselor. However, I decided to stay today and I headed to the back of the class where no one will notice me. I call the back of my class the “safe place” because it is where I can drown out reality for 45 minutes. I started the do now and it was talking about equations, I tried to do it but I couldn’t. It was time to exchange our do now’s to be graded by our partners . I got back my grade and I was upset because I couldn’t even get 1 question right. I began to wonder if I will ever be successful in this class and I was even thinking about whether or not it was a good choice to come to America to become a failure. Looking around at my classmates I saw that they were understanding the teacher and passing with good grades but I wasn’t. I remember back in my