If I had the operatic ability, vocal range and command of the Italian language the likes of Sarah Brightman, I’d end my high school writing career with “A Time to Say Goodbye” and call it a wrap. Alas, I do not, and must employ my next favorite mode of expression—words.

Words were my calling. However, almost four years ago, I did not yet know it. All I knew was that I was nervous about the prospect of high school. How would I fit in? Who will be in my classes? How is it possible to fit over 2,000 teenagers in one building? After having been denied admission to TJHSST, I was unsure how to spend the next four years of my life at AHS.

Once I arrived, I decided to take a chance on something in which I had been interested for years–joining the swim team. I thought I would find my niche in the lanes, diving into an opportunity to make new friends.

Well, it turned out that my passion did not like in the pool. In fact, I did not even get a chance to look for it. I was cut in the first week.

I actually happened upon my passion by accident. There was neither a grandiose epiphany, nor, as Oprah calls it, an “Ah-ha” moment. It had been born by means of my failed attempt to splash into a new environment.

I did not know where to turn next. AHS boasted myriad opportunities to become involved, but none that immediately piqued my interest.

I was forced to be real with myself. I reflected on what I enjoyed.

I knew that I always loved to read, but I had never thought about learning to produce what I had enjoyed.

That was when I decided to take a chance by joining The A-Blast.

I learned all there was to know about a team without the H20–when to step back and let someone else take the reins, and even what it meant to be on a team.

I also learned about sacrifice. Some nights, sleep takes a backseat to deadline. On other nights, I had to learn when studying for that test superseded my need to finish that odiously half-finished article. I even learned when to use the always equivocal Oxford comma.

But I had some fun along the way. I scored internships, international readerships, national publication, awards and ultimately college admission due solely to one decision—to be honestly reflective.

The ability to reflect upon oneself is a difficult skill to develop. It requires humility, patience and awareness. There are so many subversive forces that inhibit the process of reflection that it sometimes appears nearly impossible to do so without the help of a friend or loved one.

It would be ignorant to assert that everyone finds his or her passion in high school. Many people reach their elder years without doing so. But there is nothing wrong with starting the search today.

I suggest that you start where I started. Ask yourself–what makes you happy? My time at AHS allowed me to begin the process of finding an answer. Will you allow it to do the same for you?