Avery Colling

Throughout all of my school years, middle school has been some of the most fun. Going from having a limited amount of friends at your elementary school, to all the schools coming together. With this came some great memories. Whether it is during school, on a field trip, or even an after school event, many fun things have come from middle school. Not all things are positive though, whether it is being stressed for a test, or getting excluded. But one of the things you learn as you grow up through middle school is how to overcome these hardships.

One of my favorite memories from middle school is during the student vs. staff basketball games. I remember how I was nervous to have to go out and play against a bunch of grown men. I didn’t start off too great, but then I realized, “so what if I do bad? It’s just for fun.” So I  went out with that mentality and played hard. I blocked Mr. Nugent, who is the Dean of Students. Twice. I was so excited to do this, and then I made a three-pointer. I didn’t care what anybody thought of me when I went out there. I was just being myself and having fun. That’s a lesson I learned from all my middle school years: you just shouldn’t care what other people think of you, you should just be yourself.

The many hardships I faced also taught me many lessons. Whether it is being excluded or being stressed for a test. One memory of being excluded is from a kid that I used to be best friends with. We slowly drifted apart until we were almost strangers. He was always having events and I always wanted to be invited. But then I recently realized that getting invited to something, doesn’t show who I am. Just because you aren’t invited to something, doesn’t mean that you aren’t good enough. It may just mean that you and another person don’t get along the greatest. I never let not getting invited or not being the most popular person define me. Those things don’t matter. All that matters is that you are being the best person you can.

Overall, as I go into high school, middle school has been a great experience. Whether it’s the friends you met on the way, the fun you had, or just the experience of being with more people. Middle school has been awesome for all these reasons. As I go into high school, these lessons, and actual school stuff, that I learned are going to help me be the best that I can be as I grow up.