Senior Tierra Hayes does not want to become a stereotypical “smart” kid whose only goal is to look good for a college or on a resumé. She wants to be herself and to do what makes her happy. Illustration by Ashley Lawrence.
By TIERRA HAYES – Writing Coach
Senior Tierra Hayes looks into her fears of being just another high achieving student.
President of this, secretary of that–it is no secret that many of today’s high school students are pressured to stretch themselves to their limits for the sake of a resumé.
In the quest to become a “well rounded” individuals a stereotype is created that college-oriented students are becoming robots with one-track minds.
So no wonder I was afraid that I was just becoming another machine. Another one of the millions of high schoolers who could care less about what they are doing, and that only cared about getting into that dream college to get that dream career to get an ideal cushy life.
Advanced Placement, Dual Enrollment classes, on a weekly basis I attend multiple club and extracurricular meetings, and I have very little free time.
And then I got into college.
During summer break, I applied early to Southern Adventist University and was accepted for the 2016-2017 school year with substantial scholarship offers.
I thought to myself, ‘Is all of this really worth it?’ ‘Why should I keep doing all of this?’ ‘Does it even matter to me anymore?’
I’m going to the the college that I want to go to, I have scholarships, what value do any of these things that I have been working on for the last three years really hold?
And then I realized something important.
I do what I do because I want to. I do not endure all of the insanity I go through just for a resumé. I do it all because I love the clubs that I am in. I love the people that I get to work with day to day and I love being busy.
I want to feel like I am doing something positive in this world.
I don’t want to just look good on paper. I don’t want to just ‘look like’ anything.
I want to be myself.
