The Shoemaker Bugle

By Stany Hernandez

With college decisions coming out from various CSUs and UCs, there’s certain expectations for seniors to come up with something big. Our last year is meant to be our final hurrah and demonstrate the last four years were not a waste, that we have accomplished our greatest potential. We are determined by others by our medals, our cords, and admissions in our last year. Most of us are here to just get through it to make it on the other side. 

It’s been completely valid to not overwork yourself or take every AP and college course in the history of humanity. It’s hard to compare to the students who get into MIT and Stanford, nor should we have to. While it’s certainly a great accomplishment on their behalf, it is not the aspiration for some students and we should not be treated as such.

For a lot of students, we are addressed as lost potential or simply not regarded at all when we come short of what others expect of us. We are not all the same and we shouldn’t be treated to the same standards. We have been told since the beginning of our educational journey that a four year university should be our goal and that we have to work towards it; however, that is not the goal for everyone nor required for their profession.

There are so many different paths we could take and we shouldn’t be determined by these trivial things in high school. At the end of the day, what matters is doing the best we can, walking the stage, and being the best adults we can be, not appeasing the people in our lives by making it into schools we don’t care about.

It’s your life, live it for you.