Starting a new school year in a new school can make a student feel anxious. I had a fresh start, a clean slate. I decided to make this year different than the rest. 

I was starting freshman year of high school when I decided to set a goal for myself. I wanted to be more open. I wasn’t necessarily an introvert, but I wanted to participate more. I had only joined one club in middle school: the girls’ club. Some of my friends and I helped clean up the school afterschool. It felt good participating and helping out my middle school. I wanted to continue being more open and hopefully be more open in the future. I wanted to be more involved and I was going to change that. 

When I heard an announcement about the girls’ soccer team, I was interested. I had second thoughts about joining the team. I had no idea how I would be able to get along with my teammates knowing I wasn’t social. I kept reminding myself about my goal that year. If i wanted to be involved in afterschool activities, I would have to push myself.

I’ve had an interest in soccer since I was little. My father’s side of the family were all talented at soccer. I remember watching my uncle play soccer at the park. I’ve always wanted to play in a team but I never had the courage to. But high school year, I gave it a try.

Before entering high school, I didn’t know how I would achieve being more open and take part. When I joined the soccer team, I was ready for a new experience. I met my teammates and they were all kind and welcoming. I soon became really close to some teammates. I would say I made a good decision. 

Being more engaging made me feel good about myself. I felt as though I had changed the way I communicated with others. I always try to continue being involved and try out new things. Now every year, I set new goals for myself, in hopes of meeting them.