As I entered high school, I had the role of valedictorian in mind. I presumed that I could go through my courses with the same ease that I had in my previous years within middle school. My last year of middle school was cut short due to the pandemic outbreak, and I began my freshman year through online school. I had expected this to make my transition easier, without the worry of getting lost in a new, large building or having to interact with upperclassmen that made me nervous. However, I quickly realized the struggles that presented itself through the learning-at-home system. I had previously taken notes online and read online textbooks, but it was very different not having the option for paper or handing work to a teacher directly. This made me worry about the authenticity of my work, and I struggled to keep my grades as high as I had hoped. However, I began to leave my room to listen to my lectures. As the weather began to get nicer, I would take my computer from my bed to our patio. Sitting outside with the sun shining and my dogs sitting with me allowed me to have some sense of reality, which translated into my work. I began to understand that my ability to maintain a high GPA relied on my sense of reality and having activities and experiences that lie outside of an academic setting.
As I entered into my sophomore year of high school within the building for the first time, I kept in mind the strategies I had learned that help me keep my GPA as high as possible. In my sophomore year, I kept myself grounded by finding friends with different passions from me. This allowed for me to learn many new things, but not in an academic sense: I gained new hobbies, passions, and interests from learning about the things that they enjoy. These bonds that formed from growing common pastimes grounded me. When I have experiences that I enjoy outside of the classroom, the time I spend in class I am more focused and inspired to work. This improves my quality of work, making me more confident and proud of my skills and abilities. From this (which boosts my GPA), I have more motivation to find other activities that inspire me. I must feel happiness from myself and find enjoyment in various things in order to better appreciate the skills I have academically. This, more than anything, is what allowed me to maintain a 4.0 GPA and allowed me to achieve my goal of valedictorian.