Humans of State High

“I look back at my own high school experience. I was super disconnected. I didn't really like high school. I hung out with a lot of people who were out of high school. I did not engage very much at all. But I love kids at this point of their life because the world is still their oyster and there’s so much potential for what's to come. Students in high school are really old enough to start exer...

“I started dancing when I was two years old. I didn't like it much at first, but my mom kept me in it. I became really interested in it when I was seven though, and wanted to take it more seriously. I joined the team that year and have been traveling to competitions with my dance fam, Centre Dance, ever since.  I couldn't imagine myself not being a dancer; it truly is my life. There are definitel...

"In the future, I am most scared about technology. Future technology and what it's going to be able to do. It's a dangerous game. It's like, you're playing with fire basically. You don't know what it can do and never know what's going to happen with it. I'm most excited about seeing how much the world evolves. How far we can go. Especially the views on things and how they are going to change." &...

“I feel something that has changed my life is taking an architecture class. After that, I was able to figure out what I was going to do in the future. It helped me understand more about the career I was going to pursue which is Architecture & Design. The class was very fun and I enjoyed exploring new stuff. I'm glad that State High has so many opportunities and different classes. It makes it...

"I would probably say that my dad has had the biggest impact on my life. He's taught me to be hardworking, and that hard work pays off, and he's taught me to be kind to other people and I would say that those two things mostly make up who I am."

“I never thought that I would live somewhere that’s landlocked. Because I grew up in the Navy, I have always lived somewhere that’s close to water and State College is very not close to water. So that’s definitely been something that if you asked me three years ago I would not have said that I’d be living in Central Pennsylvania.” “A memory that I wish I could hold onto forever is last year w...

“My mom has been the kindest person in my life. She is always supporting me and telling me to go after what I want. She doesn’t put any limitations on me like anyone else has. My mom is pretty much my best friend. She is my sounding board for everything. If I have a problem or any worries, I will go to her and she will reassure me that everything will be okay. She helps me work through those str...

“Someone who has been important to me in life is Elijah. When I first moved here, I had no English, and he was my first friend. We started hanging out and I learned English by hanging out with him, and we became close friends.”        

“Aw jeez, I’ve done track fifth grade, sixth, seventh, till now, and you know what, I’d say it did change me. I’ve become more outspoken, more accepting. I’ve definitely grown and become more, I guess, well rounded as a person.”

“An important lesson that I’ve learned how to do in my life was how to cook. My mother would always be the one to make dinner since my father didn’t even know how to make scrambled eggs. When she would be cooking, little me would always want to help her. It would start off with small easy things such as washing produce, shucking corn, or setting the table. As time went by, I slowly advanced to c...

  “My plan after high school is to go to college, and so it makes me feel pretty stressed because I have a lot to consider within my sport, where I wanna go, and what I'm going to do with my life. What I've been thinking of lately is how I've limited myself from what I wanna [do with my life] because I’m scared that it's unrealistic. And I feel like a lot of people feel that way, so the...

"Sports have not only become my escape from reality, but also my comfort, my passion, and my drive to succeed. From watching Penn State Football games, to playing lacrosse on the State College Girls Lacrosse team, my anxiety seems to fade. It allows me to focus on the present. What might happen the next day isn't in question. It's finishing the rest of this game or practice."

“I felt nervous [starting Thespians], as I did when starting any new thing. I was an extremely shy person, and didn’t really like talking to new people. Social interaction was not my strong suit, and being in a whole new group of people was terrifying to me. There were so many people I didn’t know, and I wasn’t sure how to start talking to any of them. My first instinct was to just make mysel...

“My mom's always been super supportive and understanding and just really encouraging and a fundamental like, foundation in my life. Also, my mom's just kind of showing me that like, everything is okay, like, I guess no matter what position I'm in, she's helping me find my way through it.” 

“I’d personally have to say my mom is the most important person in my whole life. It’s kinda of cliche but she’s taught me from a young age that manners are very important and it's important in life to make sure you can connect with others rather than focusing purely on yourself because they form the foundation of your life, not just you. And being able to have good manners and being able to ...

“My mom has been the most important person in my life because me and her always go on a vacation together in the summers. We drive in the car for hours buts it’s always really fun with her. She also has always been supportive of me even when I have really bad anxiety attacks. She always comforts me by getting me food and drinks.”

“Something that I am the most proud of is...I actually have two things. One would be getting accepted into Penn State, and second, I'd have to say would be going in as a second generation Penn State student in my family. Going to college has always been my dream and when we make decisions, we don’t think about the impact or legacy that we lead. I’d say that in this circumstance, it makes it all...

“Something that changed my life was when I moved to the U.S. and met my cousins. We have been living here for three years or so. That was something new to me. For me, something that was really different from Uzbekistan – my home country – was the people here. They are much friendlier. Also, the cafeteria food – there are more options here than in my country. In the schools in Uzbekistan, w...

“Last year I had this terrible migraine and we didn’t know what it was or what caused it, so I went to the ER and we found out that it was actually a hemiplegic migraine. It was really strange getting diagnosed with a medical condition, being hospitalized for a long period of time, and missing so much school. It was super frustrating because there’s no set cure or medication that works for everybody....

"I started twirling when I was in fifth grade and I had a friend whose older sister was doing parades. She was sharing it at a morning circle of sorts and I was doing dance at the time, and thinking of stopping dance and so I heard that her older sister was doing this parade and I was so excited to try something new. So I ended up joining the team: "M Twirling" and I started learning how to twirl slowly...

“All the embarrassing moments that happen to me –once I look at it in retrospect it turns into a good memory and whenever I go to practice and stuff, I have like a good terrible story to tell. I feel like good stories are never fun to tell. It’s always the ones that are like, ‘Oh it’s so horrible. Look at all this crap that happened to me,’ and that's when everyone wants to listen to the...

“I’m a big fan of not failing at school. I’ve been getting into Forensics and doing Congressional Debate[s]. I’m into programming and I’d like to continue doing that, [along with] tennis. I’m not good at it [tennis], but I do like it, and I would like to get better at it. Tennis has led me to meet a lot of people–a lot of whom are now [my] close friends. It’s kind of involved me in t...

“I had a phone call with my brother like a month or so ago. And, it’s always interesting being the middle child or just having somebody who is ahead of you, but hasn’t been there during your experience. So, I’ve been here these four years trying to live up to some sort of example he left behind. I didn’t even realize what his example really was and it was an extra limitation I was placing ...

“What am I most nostalgic for? Honestly, I don’t – I feel like people don’t want to forgive you anymore now that you’re not young. There’s no forgiveness for you. And, you make your mistakes. This is the point in your life where you’re making the most mistakes ever, and you’re trying to learn from them. But, it’s not an easy process and it’s not like you’re going to get the hang ...

“I have had to cut someone out of my life before. And I guess I cut them out of my life because – it’s almost me being selfish in a way – because I realized our relationship was not benefiting me. It was too toxic. So, I think it’s okay to cut someone out of your life when over and over some things will not change. When people are not changing, you have to at least accept the fact that t...

“I’ve had a lot of really great teachers. One, in particular, is in middle school we had a teacher – we called her by her first name – De. She was really, really awesome. She was strict but in a funny way. She lives in my neighborhood. When COVID hit, I couldn’t take the bus because they were trying to restrict the number of kids riding the bus. So, De drove me to and from school every sin...

“I will speak to others – specifically people I am friendly with, or closer with – about my emotions quite often. I find that it is better for me and it makes me as a person come off as more trustworthy. And also, I think being open about my emotions just makes it so I don’t bottle everything up, because I feel like I would not be a very great person if I kept all my emotions inside... I don’t...

“One of the most important things I have ever learned is that you need to love yourself before you can really love other people. If you don't have a good relationship with yourself, it hurts every other aspect of your life. You can't be as good of a friend, or as good of a kid to your parents, or a sibling, if you are really struggling with loving yourself. I would say accepting yourself, loving yours...

“The biggest lesson life has taught me is to protect your peace and don’t let anyone tell you your worth, you deserve to decide that yourself. Also just spend time with people who care about you and spend time doing things you love. Overall just be secure in who you are.”

"My greatest fear is that I will make the wrong decision. I don’t want to look back and regret any of my choices, or think, why did I do that? I mean, sometimes I take like 10 minutes to pick what I want at a restaurant. But like right now, I am a little worried about picking the wrong college. As of now, I am in between 2 colleges, but I am kind of leaning toward the University of Delaware. Delaware jus...

“My first football game was probably the happiest moment of my life. It feels really good to play football but my first game is the most memorable. I’ve always loved football but I never got to play tackle football until middle school, so it just felt really good to finally be playing and finally be on the field. Football probably hasn't been that important to my development, but it's just been ...

"One of my favorite memories was last year, the first time I met drumline. It was really terrifying because I got to the band room after school and I recognized absolutely no one. There was this one kid who was saying how he was going to teach all the new cymbals all the cool cymbal tricks and I was kind of concerned because everyone was really loud. And then, one by one, they were called into the ...

"One of my biggest regrets is that little me was always too fixated on the future and not enough on the present. I spent so much of my childhood thinking about growing up instead of focusing on being a kid. With all the stress and work high school brings, I do miss the more carefree times—when my most pressing concern was what the cafeteria offered for lunch that day. I think that when I was younger,...

“As a senior, I like to do stuff for the community. I really like fundraising and being a motivational speaker. I started motivational speaking in 2011. In 2019, I did fundraising for the Miracle Children’s Network.” (1/2)  “I’m also involved with the Spirit Program, a branch of State High Government. I started in February. I was able to speak to Dr. O’Donnell about the respect des...

“The person who I look up to the most is probably my mom. I think she does so much for my family and for me. She juggles so much with working and taking care of the house, the family, you know, cooking dinner, doing all of that. It’s amazing to see what she is able to accomplish and I can’t imagine how my family would function without her. I love everything stands for and she’s someone that I ...

“I am really proud of my grades. Just because last year, at times, I struggled to keep up with my work and complete assignments on time. And being that keeping up grades is an enormous time commitment, I found it hard to stay motivated. Just to sit down, study, and stay focused for hours on end just to understand the material that you are learning in five different classes can just be discouragin...

“I’m hardworking but insanely busy. I’ve always just known that if I don’t work hard, then I might fail school. Hard work is really important but [I also learned that] you also need to value the moments you have with your family and friends because you never know when something [bad] will happen. I learned the lesson about valuing time with family and friends when my mom got cancer a few ye...

"Ms. Kling was most influential, my 9th-grade English teacher. She was super helpful, she was... she is super kind. She helped us with assignments and stuff. She would always be willing to help no matter what it was, even if it was something easy like it would take five minutes but you just didn't want to do it she would help you with it. She knew there was a time to have fun and a time for work, s...

“I miss the simplicity of it, of childhood. Just being able to be stupid and reading books that have no meaning. Just the really small things. Not having to put so much thought into everything. Especially in school. It’s what I remember the most. Now school is about college… ’m scared that I’m not going to find something that makes me happy. Because I can work as much as possible to be finan...

“I am proud of myself as a person, but I am definitely not a perfect person. No one’s a perfect person. I feel like, a lot of the time, because I am ‘school smart’ and because I present myself in a put together way people think that I am perfect. This makes it hard to be imperfect. But, I have insecurities like everybody else. So, I know that I make mistakes. I know that I’m not a perfect...

"I think a lot of times in life, we tend to isolate ourselves rather than other people isolating us. So even if you have such a big support system or like so many people around you who are reaching out, if you're not looking because you're in a downward spiral, then you can feel really alone. And I think for me, it was the first year I moved when I was in like 5th grade. It was right around the time...

“In my family [...] I don’t know [if] is like a tradition but yeah, we make law college, yeah so my grandparents make [law]. My grandfather, my grandmother, my dad, and I’m gonna make [law] too, and my sister is making [law] now. So like my grandparents go there and make law, my sister is making now, my dad make, and I’m making too. My grandmother and my grandfather do this, and my father was lik...

“There was this one teacher. She helped me through everything. She’s the one that actually helped me get a proper diagnosis for my ADHD, so she’s a big influence. She helped me through homework, she helped me through problems I was having with school, she helped me when I was upset. And those are the people and teachers that everybody needs because they leave an impact on your life.”  ...

"The saddest day of my life was when my grandfather died. It was the last day of school before Thanksgiving break and my brother was giving me a ride home from school. I remember he was playing upbeat music and we were laughing and talking. I almost regret feeling so happy before getting home but I didn't know what had happened. I remember walking into my house and seeing my mom and dad crying. They sat...

"I’m most proud of my creative abilities. I like writing and storytelling and drawing, music, things like that. And it’s helped me make many connections with other people, whether it's online or in person. Most of what I’ve learned from is stuff from the internet, so I’d say I’m mostly self-taught." (1/3) "I am a transgender male, and the happiest moment of my life was during class when I sort ...

“I want to be a pilot [in the future] and that’s all I know.  Watching other people fly makes me want to fly.  I’m also just interested in all the different aspects of it and how it works and whatnot. I’ve been [around planes] my whole life. We got a plane a year and a half ago and my parents are both super into airplanes, so anytime we do anything, they’re like ‘Oh, look at this cool...

  “So my dad’s mom is kind of a crazy cat lady now. She has like twelve cats. She gets them all like — she adopts them — they’re all stray cats which is good. But they like pee all over her house and they all like live in her basement. And a lot of times when she lets them out at night they don’t come back and they get eaten by coyotes because she lives in Vermont and there’s ...

"My favorite memory is when I met my sister's pets for the first time. I thought they were all going to hate me, but they actually love me. It was a very hot day, and we were driving for an hour and a half. Then I went inside her house, and a dog randomly greeted me at the door. I thought the dog must be Nala, so I pet them and went around the house. I saw a cat and they looked at me like I was an...

“I remember there was this mall that me and my mom would always go to. Or, she would always take me to, on the weekends after ice skating or something. We had to cross this sky bridge to get to the mall from the parking lot, and I remember on that sky bridge, there would always be this homeless person, the same homeless person, sitting in the corner. At that time I was maybe seven or eight years...

“I definitely imagined that I [would] be the type of kid fighting for every single GPA point, trying to get valedictorian, getting an A++ in every class. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve sort of realized that that’s not the most important thing in life. I definitely still try for good grades, ‘cause that’s just who I am, and I really want to do that, but I also try to balance my [academi...

“So I songwrite, [that] is my main thing at the moment. I’m spending a lot of hours doing that. I’ve always loved English, because my parents are both English professors, but that has sort of led into a love of songwriting, and I think that English has really helped me become a better songwriter. [...] My dad is not at all musical, although he would protest and say otherwise. But he’s not. ...

“My parents biked a lot in college, but then when they had my older sibling and I, they kind of stopped, with work and everything. And then, when I was in third or fourth grade, my older sibling Linus started mountain biking again and started working at the local bike shop, and my parents sort of started getting into it. I didn’t really start biking until we moved to Spain together, and I got my...

"I'm going on a trip to Uruguay soon, and I’m really looking forward to it. I’m excited to spend time with my family, like my cousins. I’ve been there 11 times, probably, but it's always good to see everyone and get out of the house. Throughout the years, traveling has been one of my favorite activities, and I feel like going around the world has really opened my eyes to a lot of things, and...

"[I'm proudest of] wearing a hijab. Not a lot of Muslims ... a lot of girls are scared to do it. Especially... back in Turkey, even though it's a Muslim country they still discriminate [against] hijabis. ...I really fought hard to wear it, like, 'I wanna wear it, I wanna wear it,' but my mom was like, 'not right now.' And then I came to America, and I wore it, and I feel like that's such a big thing...

“[I am proudest of] my ability to learn new things pretty quickly and just adapt to my situations.” (1/3) “Well, I never imagined breaking a bone, I literally just recovered from that. I got hit by a car three months ago, things happen, so that’s one way [my life is] different. [In 10 years I’m] hopefully doing something involving cars, selling, buying, owning a lot of them, that’s the...

“My teachers have been kind to me. I don’t have a favorite one, but I can say that I’ve had a lot of really great teachers, who have been really, extremely kind to me. The first Spanish teacher I ever had let me redo a paragraph four times, which was amazing for me, that she would give me that many chances.”

"Emi has taught me to enjoy life and never fails to bring the biggest smile to my face. She teaches me every day who I want to be in life and inspires me to have the same radiant personality that she has. I love the light that she shines in every room. She always makes me smile and has helped me have a positive outlook on life. Emi has helped me change my outlook and become a happier person who is...

“Something I would tell my past self is to believe in myself and be more confident that I can be a leader...A big impact on my life has been Model UN because it taught me how to get more confident and be a better leader.”

“I got diagnosed with fibromyalgia when I was fourteen, and it had just been after I moved here, so it was a really rough transition. You lose a lot of stuff from that. You lose friends because people don’t want to deal with someone who’s sick; they don’t want to deal with not understanding it. You deal with things like you can’t go to events anymore, so people stop including you in things. P...

“[Starting an animal refuge in my yard is my wife’s] dream, because she has always been an animal lover. She always [has been] a rescuer; she loves rescuing the old, special needs animals who people typically wouldn’t choose to adopt. [...] My personal avenue into the animal refuge really has to do with my frustration surrounding feeling helpless about systemic animal abuse in factory farming...

"My first memory was my first day of school. I remember walking in, and when I walked to my new classroom the cubbys were on the left side, and I hung up my backpack... even though I am now in high school, looking back on that memory feels like it was just yesterday."

“My younger sister [....] she’s just like an amazing friend and sister […] she has been there for me even though I am older than her, she has been to the US before I have—I am from a different country—and she’s just like helped with a lot of things.”

"I think when you're in school, especially when you transition from middle school to high school, and you're hearing everybody's opinions around you at all times and everyone is doing something different, you can feel like you're the only one that’s lagging behind, that you're doing something wrong. And so getting to the point where you realize that you're different than other people, and you're n...

"I don’t believe in God, but I do believe in a higher power, just not in the typical Christianity ‘old man in the sky’ way. I believe that energy can’t be destroyed or created, so it’s kind of all one big being. Every single thing is ‘God’. I was raised in a very Christian household because my dad is Presbyterian and my mom is Catholic and both of their families are very serious about...

"The only thing that matters is how you treat yourself, others, and the world around you."

“When you inevitably mess up, it’s not something you have to beat yourself up about, it’s just something you have to acknowledge and learn from.”

“... I, like, lost someone. I mean, I guess I haven’t gone through too many sad things, so I can’t really say anything, but like my saddest moments would have to be, I don’t know, losing people and losing opportunities kind of makes me sad. And like losing opportunities I think sometimes I like, I haven’t had that many but I know like if I pushed myself enough I could do stuff but I don’t...

“Who is the person who makes you happy when things are good, the person who makes you appreciate the things you have, the person who makes you yearn for more, to be better, to let go? I'll give you a hint, it's you. You’re the person who makes those value judgments, you’re the person who values other people's opinions and actions, you're the person who decides what to put into consideration....

“Going for a run just clears my head and kind of resets [it] so that I can do whatever I’m supposed to do. I’m really passionate about running; I think that’s probably one of my favorite things to do. Unfortunately, I can’t really do it a lot right now, but when I am able to, it really helps me with stress and just being able to get through the day. [Running is] something that I love to do...

“I think I'm good at looking at things from a one-sided perspective because it’s easier that way. Everything is so complicated and for it to just be black and white is so much easier than [actually] processing. So I guess, just turning something that’s really grey into just one side vs. the other is so much easier than accepting that there can be good within evil and evil within good. It’s...

“One thing I think about a lot is like changing my body and stuff, because like being a teenager is really hard and then also having ovaries and tits and having the media show other people with the same anatomy as me as a perfect image. Like, I can't be that and it's really stressful and I think about that and then I’m like, ‘no!’ Because I feel like it's me, and like I get jealous sometimes...

"Religion. Oh my gosh, I stress out every day about that. Just like the feeling of unknowing and how no one else can answer it for me and how I’m the only one that can come up with a clear and concise decision. Because everyone is going to tell me that if they’re Christian, ‘Oh God is real.’ But how do I know that their beliefs about God are right and those of a Jewish person are wrong? The...

"One of the things I value the most are small, unexpected moments that end up being great memories. I always saw memories as results of big, planned events. I realized recently that some of the best times I had were the simplest experiences. I treasure breakfasts with my siblings, watching ridiculous movies with friends and long car rides with my mom. I love driving to work early in the morning when...

"I’ve learned not to spend time suffering out of anger. It is such a waste of time to put all your energy into just being angry at someone for something, especially when it’s in the past and you can’t change anything about that. The most important thing is that you can’t change the past but you can choose your future and how you want to act and treat other people and I think that’s really...

“If you believe in something, so that’s like God, eventually you start to feel it or start to feel like you have some sort of relationship, and generally I find myself wanting to trust in God, and good things often happen [when I do]. And also [if] worse comes to worst, [I can just say] ‘oh no it was all for nothing, I just lived a good happy life.’ It seems like some pretty good plus sides...

"I guess one thing that’s irreplaceable is just kind of like, the memories that you can make and the time that you have, because I feel like--it’s really hit me recently, that we only have like a year and a half left before we’re adults and out in the real world. There’s only so much time we can spend as a kid just hanging out with friends and doing whatever spontaneous random things. I fe...

"I could talk about music for hours. Waking up early in the morning when I was really young, on a Sunday and it would be 10, and the sun would be beaming into my room--and that’s the only time I get sunlight because I’m on that side of the sun, so the window gets hit, okay yeah--but he’d just be blasting these 80s hits, like ‘Walk like an Egyptian’ and I really associate that with him now, bu...

“I feel like people think I’m honest/open with my emotions, and I wouldn’t say that I’m not, but I would also say that I’m not. So like I’m not open with my emotions, but like I am, because I will have conversations along these lines, like all the time, and I enjoy them thoroughly, and I like thinking this way. But I don’t speak about stuff that’s, you know, chillaxing deep there. Bu...

“Don’t go through life guessing what you could have done, instead of doing what you can do in the moment.”

“Don’t get overconfident, especially in ski racing, because if you get overconfident, you will do what I do and catch a tip and crash into a headwall.”

“I wasn’t expecting to lose my senior year to a worldwide pandemic.”

“I went to a really small school back when I was in middle school, and there are two teachers that come to my mind when I think of my middle school experience. I think it's because they were always there for me and I felt as if I could talk to them whenever I needed to. When moving from 5th to 6th grade, I lost a lot of friends since we all went separate ways. I then tried to become friends with...

“I think overall, my biggest goal is to do something that makes me happy because I don’t wanna be stuck doing something that I feel trapped in, even if it is financially good, you know what I mean? ‘Cause like [...] I feel like a lot of times you kind of have this societal expectation where it’s like, ‘you need to be super successful and live in a huge house, and [...] have a big family and...

"One of my favorite teachers was my middle school math teacher, Mr. Minturn. He was really helpful and was really willing to work with you if you didn't understand anything. I went in every morning excited for the class and he was always so excited for students to come in and made it welcoming."

“I think the most important person in my life would probably be my little brother, just because he’s like my best friend in a lot of ways. I feel like with a sibling you’re kind of in a partnership together, so it’s kind of nice to have that dynamic with someone. I don’t know, I’ve always just gotten along with him, and he’s probably just the most important person in my life.”

"The thing that I'm most proud of is pretty much that I've been able to create a tight circle of really good friends."

"I think it’s really important to[know what you want from your future], you know. I started out in a different career and realiz[ed] this wasn’t the right career for me for forever and I [made] that change. So I think it’s important to know, even if you go to college, majoring [in] something and start a job and work in that job for a couple of years, it’s okay to decide, yeah, I’m going to...

"I love to blare my favorite songs in my headphones and just tune out my stressors and problems for a while. I value time with myself because I think it's crucial to just let yourself heal from the day without having to necessarily vent to someone about it. Let your body just relax by doing something you love."

“I think I just have a tendency to fake friendships, kind of, or that I like someone. I know that for so many years I’ve just been friends with people because they’re people that everyone would like, and that it would kind of be seen as good to be friends with them even when I didn’t feel any need to be their friend. So I think that I’ve just kind of based what I do off of what others want...

"When I was a kid, I always wanted to either be a boy or something in between. Then in middle school, I realized ‘oh, that’s not normal.’ So I tried to be hyper-feminine in 7th grade and erase what I felt and tried to repress it, which worked, because in the past month, it’s been a whole realization that maybe I’m not who I thought I was. I don’t know, it’s been difficult because I’ve b...

"I love how I get to use music and apply it to every facet of my life. I have learned the importance of combining and celebrating all of my identities. You can have such a big impact through words, through music, through dance; art is a diverse entity in-and-of-itself. Your creation can be your activism. I use my school platform to speak out, I use my church and community to educate myself and others,...

“My older teammates [in gymnastics] have influenced my life because they are always supportive and they always show us, as the younger ones, how to be respectful and how to work hard. They’ve taught me that you are in control of your life and it’s up to you if you want to make your life productive.”

"I don't have any regrets because I feel like it makes me who I am today. Everything I have done up to today I feel like I have done for a reason, and it made me a better person. Whether the decision was good or bad, the outcome was always okay."

"The most important person in my life is my sister. At first, all she represented was the perfect example of someone I would admire and look up to. As time went by and I got older, I learned that I could tell her things I couldn't tell anyone else and be comforted in knowing no judgment would pass as she listened. She changed from being simply a girl I bragged to my friends about to my closest friend...

"Everyone says 'don’t rush into things' but if you feel like something is worth rushing into, then, by all means, rush into it, because you only live once. So, live every single day like it’s going to be your last on Earth. I don’t want to say to rush into things but if you know something is going to be good, don’t hesitate. Don’t second guess yourself. Just do it."

“If not for skateboarding, I don’t know how I would’ve kept myself entertained in quarantine. I’ve been skating since I was ten when I taught myself by riding around the Boalsburg area. As somebody who didn’t get out a lot, skating got me outside with nature and people, which was great. Especially now with COVID, I don’t have to get in a car to go and do something, but if I don’t want...

"[My teacher last year] really inspired me, she was so compassionate to everyone and passionate about what she did. She created this amazing class that really changed my life. She hosted this class and we were able to go on this trip to Alabama and that was life-changing. I don’t think I will ever forget that trip. We got to do and see so many amazing things and there were many different experiences."

"I don't really dwell on things I regret. Sure, I might've taken a really ugly selfie when I was ten, or purchased a really stupid shirt for $80, but nothing has ever plagued me as I thought it would. I think that I would rather regret doing something than not. There have been times where I have said too much, but never too little. And I think that self-reflection plays a big part in who I am today,...

"I regret a lot of the things I've spent so much time worrying over. I wish I didn't care so much about appearance-it doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things. My logical self knows, but for some reason, I can't shake it. I regret it a lot because looking back on your younger self and being like, 'Looks really don’t matter, I wish you hadn't spent so much time worrying about them.' As I've gotten...

“I’m probably proudest of my mom because she’s a woman of color and she immigrated to the United States when she was nineteen for grad school. Despite being a woman and a person of color, she hasn’t let that stop her from having an extremely successful career, although she continues to experience a lot of things at Penn State. She continues to stay here and fight for our education and for us...

"I feel like I know a lot of different people and that shapes a lot of the lessons I learn. One of the most impactful relationships is with my mom. My mom has gone through a lot. She grew up in a different country with a different culture so as an immigrant here in America, living a different life and growing up differently, the way our relationship is, shows me the generational and cultural difference....

“Thinking about how our planet earth works together inspires me. To understand to even a small extent all of the little individual things that have to work together and coexist for the perfect balance of life inspires me. Timing plays much into our existence, which makes me feel incredibly fortunate every day of this life. I think if more people understood the importance of our planet our lives would b...

“Self expression inspires me. Goths, furries, activists, cosplayers, punks, hippies, nudists; I like the “weirdos” or the unconventional. There’s immense power in being able to wear whatever and act however you want while disregarding the opinions of others. By doing that you acknowledge the insignificance behind trends or popular ways of thinking, and that acknowledgement will be what truly sets you fre...

“The moment that I’ve felt the most alive was in Pittsburgh, when my friends and I were holding hands and ice skating. Everything seemed right, and for once I wasn’t worried about school, small inconveniences, or even the world. I felt like I was at home in a place I’ve never been because I was with the people I love the most. I was going on adventures, I had freedom, I had confidence, and ...

What do you like to do outside of school? "I like to kayak, camp, and fish, I do it almost all summer. I go to Adirondacks Regional Park because it's so cool! It has a bunch of lakes and a beautiful wilderness to explore."

"[I feel] overwhelmed by homework and how much time I need to dedicate to staying on top of it and making sure I understand all of it. With time I don't have because I go to practice and then I go home and I try and memorize music for choir. But otherwise, ya know. It's an uphill battle... but that's a choice I make consciously. It makes things more difficult, being a music student makes things more...

"The happiest moment of my life was probably when I first entered high school because I could meet all my friends and I really think that the school has a positive atmosphere."

“As a high school student, I’m not really proud of much, you know, because a lot of high school students are really down on themselves a lot. I mean I think that I’ve been good at improving my art. That’s something that I like to do a lot. I’m interested in fine art. Drawing, painting, that kind of stuff. I thought I’d have more of myself together by now though. Like what I want to do for...

“I really got serious about art in probably either 8th grade or 9th grade. I just do it in my free time or when I'm bored, things like that, and then of course when things inspire me, when I see a picture or have an idea like that's when I like, act on it.”

“When we had an incident last year, [Ms. Shawley] sat us down the day after and was the only teacher that really brought it up. She spent almost the whole class just talking us through it and telling us we shouldn’t feel scared. Also that our feelings and emotions of this event were valid… It was just very meaningful for her to do something like that.”

“I don’t have a lot of regrets for what’s already happened in my life, but I do think about this a lot, where I’m afraid that I will have regrets. Like, my biggest fear is having regrets for how I think my life should have gone when I’m about to die. So like, right now in the process of college and everything, I’m starting to worry that I’m conforming to what my life is supposed to look...

“I think one thing I’ve learned about relationships and friendships, based upon good friendships and bad friendships, is you really need to communicate and be honest with the other person. I’ve had friendships where it just doesn’t work just because you don’t communicate with each other. I feel like the main bad experiences I’ve had friendship wise came from a lack of communication or a la...

“Probably the happiest point in my life was going to World for robotics. It’s honestly an experience that you can’t even imagine. So when I lived in North Carolina they had a robotics team there, but right before I was of age to do it, we kind of had to leave. They didn’t have one in Oregon, but then we moved here and we heard about Lego robotics and I was like ‘I want to do that’. So we�...

"Most of my family lives up in New York City. I was one, maybe two years old and we were visiting family. I don’t remember much from that time, but what I do remember is there’s this little house in Pelham, New York, up in Westchester County. It’s really nice, and this is where all of our family, from all over comes to gather. We were at this little family gathering, and I remember the first...

“I stress about a lot of school work, like too much. Yeah, I'm just constantly worried that I'm not doing good enough. I don't talk in class, ever. In class, I don't raise my hand. I act like a different person. I'm just not myself. I don’t care about myself outside of class. I imagined life was going to go smoothly, and not bad, but it's just bad. I don't know how to fix it. I thought of life...

“My parents... moved from Egypt in 2003 so that I could be born in America. My religion [Islam] is a strict religion that puts you on the right path in life. My personal struggle is caring too much. I care too much about people who don’t know much about me… Turns out nobody cared… And this problem led to another problem, which was me thinking I was the wrong one."