How High School Rebuilt My Social Life by Emily

How High School Rebuilt My Social Life by Emily - November 2024 Scholarship Essay

I was twelve when I moved across the city. My mom had gotten divorced and we were finally getting out of her ex-husband's house. People always think that your parents getting divorced is heartbreaking news, but I was indifferent about it. It was time for a fresh start, I could start at my new school as whoever I wanted to be, and that was much more important to me. During my first few days of school, I made a couple of new friends. Throughout the year, my circle stretched wide and I knew at least a few people in each of my classes.
Disaster struck in March 2020, when COVID closed down my school, and many others. The quarantine was unkind to my family. I isolated myself from the people I knew in real life and turned to strangers on the internet. As a whole, these people were kind and fun to talk to. However, they weren't there to be my friends at school. Some of the friends I had before faded into memories and boiled down to acquaintances. They became people that you nod your head at in the hallway, not people you hang out with after school. I was scared to rebuild my circle and was suddenly very anxious and shy. It took years to open up and become a more social, talkative person.
Grappling with this, I started doing extracurricular activities and focused on art. I continued to take art classes through high school and met new friends in those classes who would stick with me for years. I joined National Academic League and strengthened my public speaking skills along with my one-on-one social skills. NAL taught me to work with a team and to communicate better than anything else could have. I also started putting more of my energy into theater and choir, and that has saved me. Bonds built in theater and choir are truly like no other, and I even met my best friend in choir. I joined the wrestling team in sophomore year just because my friend was doing it and I met so many people and built so many skills that way, physically and mentally.
It wasn't until I got into my Sophomore year of high school that I truly settled into the person I am now. I have never felt so content and so comfortable. Friends have come and gone and I am a much less shy person than that 12-year old girl starting at South Ogden Jr High, knowing she planned to go to Mount Ogden. I think I still have a long way to go, I couldn't start a conversation with a stranger on the street, but I can make new friends and develop connections with people like never before. Doing things in high school changed me socially, and I completely credit it to all of my extracurriculars.
Thank you!