What I learned in high school

Nathan Phillips - Senior, Staff Writer | Features

When I entered Cookeville High School my freshmen year, one could call me a ‘social outcast.’ Though I had had many friends in middle school, I never attended any events outside of school and I wasn’t involved in any extracurriculars. I did not plan on any of that changing, but I am very thankful it did.

My freshmen and sophomore year, I was on the Speech Team. I had no experience with speaking in front of people, yet I found I was naturally really good at it. Though I needed a lot of work, I also discovered I was a decent actor.

However, I was still not doing anything outside of school. I never went to any games or dances. I did not hang out with friends outside of school very often, though I wanted to.

I am sad to say that I was hungry for attention my freshmen year. I created a school-related meme page. I told myself it was just for fun, but I think deep down I knew it was because I thought it would make me more popular.

Also, I ran for sophomore class president. I had always wanted to join student government, but I had never pushed myself out of my comfort zone to actually do it. I ended up losing, but it was one of the best things that ever happened to me because it taught me humility.

Unfortunately, not much changed till halfway into my sophomore year. For whatever reason, I hit a major maturity spike. I started to realize that seeking attention was silly and that people would like me more if I just acted like myself.

I was in a play for the first time that year. I didn’t even audition because I was too scared; Mr. Cunningham asked me to be in it when someone else dropped out. I’m glad he asked, because it was an amazing experience.

Junior year, I had the opportunity to be the president of our class. This was my first time in a leadership position and it significantly pushed me out of my comfort zone. I began to get more involved with activities and make more friends.

At the end of that year, I ran for student body president. I knew it was going to be tough to win, and it was the most stressful week of my life. I learned that week to stray from arrogance. Winning the election was one of the most amazing moments of my life - the fact that so many people put their faith in me to hopefully make the school a better place.

Senior year is when I finally jumped ship. I worked my best, despite the circumstances, to make this school a much better place. I started attending games and found myself doing things I never would have done because of fear. I learned that to achieve the things you want, you have to work - meaning to put forth your heart and soul - to get them.

I learned much in high school, and I certainly will never forget these experiences that grew and developed me as a person. To any underclassmen reading this, my advice is to chase after what you want and get out of your comfort zone.