Miguel Hernandez

Senior Defense

Growth Trajectory

Through all my four years in high school, I have not only grown as a student but as a

person. One of my most significant change is my confidence. In my freshman year, I wasn’t

much of a person to ask questions or even speak to the teacher. I was scared to feel embarrassed

to say something wrong. I lacked communication skills with not just teachers and staff but also

with classmates. I would not hold a bond with a teacher and will just drift away like in my own

island of isolation. Being in the office was a place I would not step foot inside, as I saw it as a

danger zone. Then things all changed when I started to be active in extracurricular activities and

bonding with teachers. Comfort was a huge effect on the way I would act in classes and I would

just get more comfortable every time I would enter a classroom. Making new friends is also what

got me into being active with school, as I would have people I know in all my classes. Being

confident has turned me into a better person because I am no longer afraid of my teachers, as I

see them more as a friend and influencer. Now when I don’t seem to understand a subject, I can

simply ask them questions with no worry.

A behavior I would mainly have was being talkative. Even though I was very shy in the ninth

grade I would always talk with my friends in class. I was told to be quiet many times in class but

it wouldn’t stop me from talking again. This then leads to me not finishing my assignments in

classes; telling myself that I could always turn it in later. When it was later the assignment

wouldn’t even come out of my backpack, as to it wasn’t finished and just became another pile of
papers. My talking would not be part of the subject and would leave me in confusion as to what

was being done in class. After a while, my talking was the main purpose my grade would drop

due to the assignments I would not turn in my assignments. It’s not until my sophomore year I

decided to be more patient and change my behavior. I would separate myself from my friends so

I can prevent myself from talking. That lead to me focusing on my work and in class. I would

know when it was time to talk to my classmates about the subject we were learning. I knew there

was always time to talk to my friends at lunch or when we had free time; the class was just a

time to focus. Being calm is an important behavior to have for the future as to everything takes

time. Nothing will just be given to me, it will have to be earned. Patience is a virtue and behavior

that takes time to develop.

Early on in high school I was inactive and would not participate in many school

extracurricular activities. I do regret not being very active with school because I now realize I

could have had a good start to my high school life. Not joining a sport or a club was something

that didn’t really interest me. Being cast away from events was like a specialty of mine and

would not participate in class activities. Life was simply locking myself in my room right after

school and play games all day. After a while, I got tired of doing the same thing at home. I got

tired of doing the exact same thing at home every day. I kept seeing that my friends were either

in a club or in a team. This then leads to me joining swimming, water polo, and key club. I made

a huge impact in my life by being part of a team that needed me and set an example to my

teammates. I didn’t want to be home early as I loved staying at school for practice and key club

meetings. This senior year I got to experience what a leader feels like by having the role of

captain for the swim team. Key club got me to do so much more for my community, instead of
not doing anything at home. This new path of being an active person is mainly the most inspiring

and important one for me. I can apply my experiences in high school to my future of working

together with coworkers and classmates. I am glad on how much I have grown as a person.