It was the summer of 2013 when my fears turned into a reality, I was a shy girl stepping

into my freshman year of high school. The thought of high school was really intimidating
because I knew that starting fresh was going to be extremely difficult for me, especially since I
knew none of my childhood friends were going to attend the same high school as I was. Not only
was I suffering from the struggles of shyness, I knew high school was the start of my future. It
was the place where students are expected to achieve high grades, be involved in extracurricular
activities, and score well on major assessments, such as the SAT and ACT. It was quite terrifying
to think that my future and where I would continue to study after high school depended on a
simple piece of paper with scores and numbers. Since I was unable to physically present myself
or my personality to the college, I knew I needed to find a way to get out of my comfort zone and
stand out from the crowd.
As I woke up the morning of my ninth grade orientation, I had a sick feeling in my
stomach. I remember getting ready and wondering to myself, “What am I going to wear?”, “Am
I going to fit in?”, “Is everyone else as worried as I am?” When I arrived, I had told my mom
that “I was going to eat lunch in the bathroom alone because I had no friends.” (Shannon
Hovsepian) My shyness has been such a communication barrier which prevented me from
opening up and making new friends which was a big struggle for me. As I was already dreading
every step I walked towards the entrance of the gym, I heard loud music and the sound of
cheering echoing out the huge royal blue doors which made me more anxious. I still continued to
walk the narrow pathway that the freshman leaders created for the new students to walk through.
They were clapping and welcoming us but it felt as if all of their eyes were piercing through my
soul as I walked the pathway that felt never ending. I remember I had an overwhelmed feeling as
I felt my face immediately rush with warmth. That is when I knew I was turning bright red. Once
I had exited the path, I was standing in a big crowd of unfamiliar people. I recall feeling at ease
once a girl named Claire introduced herself to me. She invited me to come sit with her and her
two best friends. At this point, I still felt uneasy because they all knew each other so I definitely
felt as if I was the odd one out.
Once all the new students were settled inside the gym, we did activities including the
whole class of 2017. We were put into random pairs and told to introduce ourselves. We did this
repeatedly until we felt we knew a good amount of people. After that, according to my journal,
we were put into random groups of 8 and were taken to a classroom. I remember the anxiety
building up again as I walked up the long-gum filled stairway and to the classroom. As we sat in
a circle, we all stared at each other blankly and stayed quiet. My Link Leader, Brad, made us all
introduce ourselves to get to know one another and loosen up. Looking back, I remember him
being very energetic and funny. He constantly cracked jokes and made us feel comfortable. He
then set up a game that included a 6 by 6 square made up of construction paper on the floor. He
told us that each row had a piece of the puzzle that will ultimately take us across to the other
side. But, this game was quite tricky since we had multiple ways in which we could solve the
puzzle; we were allowed to go sideways, diagonal, or directly across. He warned us that we may
fail multiple times but we are allowed to attempt the pathway as much as possible in order to find
the right square to step on to get to the other side. He explained to us how high school was going
to be much like this game because although we may run into dead ends, we will eventually find
the right pathway to get across and successfully succeed. He described how it’s going to be a
challenge and that we are all going to face different struggles during our high school experience
but to always keep striving and grow from our encounters. He encouraged and inspired us with a
personal experience of his own.
Once the game began, no one has made a move to get up and try to solve the pathway. I
remember thinking to myself, “Should I be the first person?” This was a big decision for me
because I knew that I was going to be the center of attention but I did it anyways. I knew I had to
find a way to get out of my shell and this was the first bold move in taking a step toward the right
direction. As I got up, I remember my mind going blank as everything around me disappeared
and my only focus was on this pathway. I felt myself getting fluttered inside but I decided to not
think twice about who was watching and what they were thinking so I wouldn't fall into panic. I
took my first step on a random square and was shockingly correct. The clapping of my peers
brought my mind into a frame of reality again. I looked around the room and everyone was so
observant as they were eager to see if I would get the next step correct. Although I was wrong,
and didn't find the right pathway across, I still felt very proud of myself for all that I
accomplished. We ended the day with a school tour and each group walked around the campus
with funny items such as in-n-out hats, necklaces, and glasses which took away the tension as we
were all looking at each other and laughing.
 As I was going home that day, I felt a bit more confident in entering my first day of high
school. I knew that being in my own little bubble was not going to do me any good. I find it
crazy how such a simple game was the exact little push I needed to help me realize my worth.
After my freshman year, I not only made a bunch of friends, but I also knew I wanted to become
more involved in school and wanted to help others. My sophomore year came around and I
decided I wanted to become a Link Leader myself. This has allowed me to take on a leadership
position as I was able to take my experience and become a positive role model to others. I was
able to mentor and guide each individual freshman to unveil what it takes to be successful during
this major transition to high school and help facilitate freshman success throughout the whole
school year. I not only joined that club, but I also joined the College Scholarship Federation.
This was a good experience for me because I have created connections with more people as well
as becoming more involved with my outside community. One activity we did was making easter
baskets full of coloring books, Yo Yo’s, and much more and handed them out ourselves to
children in the children's hospital. This is a memory I will forever cherish because I will never
forget the cheerful smiles the children had on their face as I handed the baskets to them.
Looking back at it now, as a junior in college, I would have never imagined myself doing
such activities if I had not taken a leap into faith. I still sometimes struggle with my shyness but I
am very proud of what I have achieved. By overcoming most of my shyness, I was able to seek
help from professors and peers, achieve good grades, become involved, make many connections,
find my life-long friends as well as discover my true self along the way. These experiences made
me realize that I have to put myself out there in order to accomplish a goal. I have learned that I
need to work my hardest and make meaningful connections in order to become a step closer to
my dream. I believe that if I had not broke out of my shell and become involved with my
community, I would have never made it to my dream school, UCSB. I hope to inspire and let
others know that they are not alone and that a little push is all it takes to become an open minded
individual. Now that I have put this memory into words, I will be able to read it over and over
again to remind myself that I am capable of accomplishing anything as long as I put my mind to
it. (1518)
 Works Cited
Turco, Mia. Link crew leaders with their freshman. The Tower Pulse, 2019

https://thetowerpulse.net/26415/features/26415/

Hovsepian, Shannon. Personal interview. 10 August 2019.

“What is Link Crew?” | Link | The Boomerang Project

http://www.boomerangproject.com/link/student-leadership

Hovsepian, Savana E. “Freshman Orientation.” Journal Entry 1. 2013