My Darlington Story: 'Make the Most of Darlington's Opportunities'

Darlington is a small school. With a population of several hundred in its Upper School division, Darlington has less high school students than some freshman classes at many schools. Naturally, I was dubious of the opportunities available at this school when I graduated from the Middle School to the Upper School.

When I entered high school, I thought that there would be dozens of student organizations and interesting activities that would fill up my last four years at Darlington. When I arrived on the library steps on my first day and experienced the first week of high school, I didn't see anything that really interested me, aside from a few. I thought that Darlington was devoid of activities that I thought a "true high school" would contain.

Yeah, I was blind.

Looking back to my high school experience now that I am a senior, I see the wealth of opportunities that I have missed, and I see the wealth of opportunities that many of my classmates have missed. 

I think back toward the first year, when I considered joining The Inkslinger. I don't know what I was thinking. Maybe I wasn't thinking, but the fact is that I went to the first meeting and decided not to join. Now that I am a member of its staff, I realize how much I missed during my first two years. 

Again, back to my days as an underclassman. I thought about joining the math team. As a person of Asian descent, I was subject to many opinions about what I should do at school and what I should not do at school. Many of my classmates told me to join the math team because I was "naturally good at math" or "Asian." So, of course, I didn't join. I had almost convinced myself that I would not like the math team at all. Again, I was dead wrong. Math team is fun and challenging, and I attend whenever there's practice or a competition. And to think that I didn't believe that I would enjoy the math team.

The list goes on. IMPACT. Science Club. Swimming. Spanish Club. Just a list of all the things that I could have done or didn't do early enough.

When I was younger, I didn't think much of these types of messages. My adviser would tell us to get active in the school, but I didn't. Club people would tell us to join the different clubs or organizations at school, but I didn't. My parents would tell me to make the most of my high school experience and do things "outside of my comfort zone,"but I didn't. 

Comfort zone. I have heard that term used so many times, my brain goes blank in the duration of the instance when someone says "comfort zone". Either I hear the word in chapel and I tune out, or I hear it from an older person and I stop listening. Yet, now I understand why they kept telling me to step outside my "comfort zone." They did that to make sure that I enjoyed my high school years because I'll never have them again. Once I graduate, it's over forever. Gone.

So, do make the most of Darlington's opportunities. People may repeat themselves over and over until their words cease to have meaning or they may tell you what you should or should not do, but Darlington is a chance of a lifetime. Don't throw it away, or you'll find yourself wishing that you could do it all again one day in the future. 

And it won't be there anymore.