Lillian Brown

During the past four years of high school, I have learned that there are going to be times where I will have to choose between two options. In those choices, there is always going to be a right or wrong answer—like choosing what team I truly want to be on during softball season. During the past three years, I have been on JV, and I have loved every minute of it. Going into my senior year, I knew my own ability and the reality I was going to face—that I wasn’t going to get a lot of playing time on varsity. So, when talking with the coaches at the beginning of the season, I decided that just because I am a senior doesn't mean I want to be stuck on varsity. I had the courage to say that I wanted to be a floater, knowing I didn’t want to take away the talent and potential of a future player's spot. Doing this didn’t take away anything from me; it made me realize that just because it’s your senior year doesn’t mean you have to play by the book—do what you truly want to do.

Many people come to me for advice, or when they don’t know anyone in their surroundings, they tend to gravitate toward me. One thing I realized in high school is that it’s okay to get out of your bubble, and pushing yourself to the best of your ability is a good thing. With pushing yourself comes learning and expanding the relationships around you. One way I like to think of it is going into a classroom and knowing absolutely no one. So, when sitting at a table with new people, I like to talk and make sure we are all comfortable—not judging because they have a bad reputation or because they’re a grade below me. None of that matters; just having a conversation with new people is a great start.

Struggling with a grade or a class is hard and disappointing in my head most of the time—especially in math classes. I have struggled with math ever since middle school. So, when I get a good grade on a test or assignment, it pushes me to learn more and more. Knowing that because I passed that assignment, I can take that and do so much more. Just because I see an A in the class doesn’t mean I can start slacking off. With that A, I always try to make it better and improve to the best of my ability.

Earlier, when I talked about how I am a senior on JV, it pushed me to become a leader—not to take over, but to set up the freshmen for success in the future. One thing I like to do is make sure we are a team. No matter what happened in the past or if teammates don’t get along, it doesn't matter because we are all together in the moment. Being a freshman can be really scary, and it is sad when I do create bonds with them because leaving them next year is really hard. But knowing that I reached out and was kind, I know they will continue to do the same and be the best they can be.