I sit on the top of the hill, thinking, and preparing myself for what I am about to do. Everything has to be smooth, I need the right speed, the right angle, and every muscle in my body to do exactly what I tell them to do.

About thirty seconds later, I found myself laying on the ground staring up at the stars, with three men in red jackets surrounding me. After a month of preparing, I finally hit the fifty foot snowboard jump. This stunt ended in the emergency room with a broken collar bone and a splitting headache. But about eight weeks later, I bet you can guess where I was…Back at that same spot staring down the hill.
High school, to me, was the exact same situation. In preparing for months—imagining what it will be like—I told myself I could succeed. I was nervous on my first day, with a deep breath and a push from the car from my mom, I made it through. But all my thoughts and expectations turned out to be nothing like the actual experience.
I know I am not the best student to walk the halls of Arrowhead High school or the best snowboarder on the earth. But this does not stop me from trying.
Persevere. This is what I do. When I break my collar bone or start something new. I get back up and try again.