Throughout my years here at El Segundo High School, I have learned multiple lessons. There are the lessons that people tell you to learn, the ones you learn without knowing it and then the ones you have to experience in order to learn from it. I have encountered all of those lessons. I learned approximately one lesson a year from this beautiful school. I learned that a few best friends were better than a ton of plain friends, I learned to always be myself and not care how others perceive me, to always be respectful and to never judge others, and there is going to be a few people that you will always be there for no matter what happens. I will never forget any experience that I got out of high school and I would do it again if I had the chance.
My freshman year of High School, I came in confident and thinking I could take on the world. I had my 3 best friends with me at all times and I thought nothing could stop us. We were with each other 24 hours, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year. Until something happened that none of us imagined. Drama from every angle hit us like a ton of bricks, we were all confused and made, what I think, were the wrong choices. The person who told me to have a lot of friends that I could rely on was wrong. The real lesson they should have told me was that no matter what, your true friends are your true friends and they will always be there. I wish I would have fought harder for my true friendships, but I gave in and I regret that.
Sophomore year of High School, I thought that you had to walk, talk, and think a certain way to be accepted. I changed a lot about myself to try and have everyone like me and to be “cool”. I now hate myself for that. I did the whole party thing, not because I wanted to, but because I felt I had to. The people who were closest to me at the time were always doing it, so I thought that is what I was supposed to do. I changed myself and I lived a lie for a little while. I feel sad and disappointed in myself for telling myself that was okay. The lesson to take from this experience is to be yourself; people will either hate you for it or love you even more.
My junior year at El Segundo was hard. I had the tougher classes, more pressure to get better grades, and I also had a part time job. To make things a little harder, I had to balance time for softball, family, friends and my boyfriend. My friend who was with me since eighth grade, made me choose how I wanted to spend my time. Facing that decision, I felt disrespected and hurt. She would also talk about my boyfriend and me behind our backs and call me from parties yelling at me and insulting me. I felt she was not fair and did not care about my feelings and that really made me sad. I lost two of my best friends that year and that really devastated me. The lesson from this was to never disrespect someone and never make them feel terrible for being them.
Senior year has changed. I feel as though everyone tries to reconnect with old friends and reconcile their problems with everyone. This year really opened my eyes to see that people, who once had feelings and cared about each other, always will. My old best friend, we were inseparable from third grade until sophomore year, is now in my first period class. At first we did not talk much, because she had other friends in the class, but towards the middle of the school year, we started having little conversations. Now, at the end of our senior year, we talk everyday. I love how we can talk and it is not awkward and how we can say anything. We recall old times and trips and we laugh. Sometimes it makes me a little bummed that I did not get to go through High School with her, but I am happy that we are talking now and we are on good terms. Going through an experience like that taught me that no matter what, I will always be there for the girls I called my best friends in eighth and ninth grade forever. It makes me sad to think about it because I wish we could have talked more and caught up earlier, but everything happens for a reason. I just have not figured that reason out yet.
Each lesson that I have learned will remain with me for the rest of my life and they make me appreciate the people who went through each one with me, they will never be forgotten. I love you guys!
 "I'll lean on you and you lean on me and we'll be okay."
- Dave Matthews Band   "In good times, in bad times I'll be on your side forever more, that's what friends are for."
"When we seek to discover the best in others, we somehow bring out the best in ourselves."
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