1) Explain to students in high school that yes, what they are learning matters.
2) Share your part of your life story so current students may reach out to you and learn from all that you have done.
Hopefully you'll find it interesting!
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Student of EGHS,
High school is a confusing time. Amidst the daily difficulties of getting up at 6 in the morning and juggling packed schedules, one's mind begins to see the world from a more thoughtful perspective that is often as confounding as it is enlightening. Pressure from friends, family, and society only complicates things even more. As I look back on it all as a college student, it was truly an overwhelming experience at times.
Of course, you know all this already. In fact, you've probably heard it many times from innumerable sources. I remember the feeling. Everyone acknowledged that high school was difficult. But that recognition did little to alleviate the anxieties associated with the exciting, yet frightening truth in front of us: that we are truly beginning to take charge of our own lives.
I remember my reaction to this truth. Whenever possible, I simply ignored it. I took whatever path I felt I was skilled and comfortable in. One decision always led logically to another, and each of my motivations was well defined and reasoned. In short, I did everything I could to make sure that life made sense. And if you're doing that too, I offer this piece of advice: perhaps to a certain extent, you're like me, keeping things well structured and predictable, thus ignoring all the uncertainty inherent in that essential truth.
In my first year and a half of college, my attempts at making sense of life have almost all fallen apart. At critical junctions in my decision making and daily activities, I've found cracks in my old ways of thinking and as a result, have had to reevaluate what I used to believe. In short, that essential truth had, or should I say, has finally caught up to me.
I am in charge of myself. But nothing seems to make sense, and I'm not sure what I want to do.
I believe that accepting that statement above is one of the first steps to true awakening as an intellectual and as a mature adult. There are going to be events and questions in that you will desperately seek to make sense of. Yet try as you may, reaching a satisfying conclusion is impossible. That is not only ok, but inevitable and necessary. Life moves on. So long as you are open and searching, it constantly reveals new perspectives and intricacies. I say this as though I am already an old man, and indeed it's a bit haughty of me to go around making such grand statements. So take this from me as just a fellow student in pursuit of what's worthy of life, stumbling, yet gradually moving along the way.
So what does this have to do with your algebra homework or that paper you've been stuck on for the past few days? What's the point of all this? Are you going to use it for your job? Is someone going to hold you hostage unless you can recite the quadratic formula? Hopefully not. (Continued…)
These things, along with your relationships with your teachers, those groggy early mornings, lazy afternoon hangouts, your friendships, betrayals, and heartbreaks...
By engaging in all of this with honest effort, you are engaging in life and thus facing, rather than running from the truth we have been discussing. When that summer reading book actually makes you think about your life and not the date of its MAD40, you are engaging with life. When you fail a test and see it as an opportunity for improvement rather than self pity, you are engaging in life. When you talk to your teacher as a mentor and friend rather than administrator, you are engaging in life.
It's not all inspiring and beautiful though. Sometimes, engaging in life will lead you to despair. Unfortunately, such occurrences will likely not dissolve with time. But with time, they will perhaps become a source of strength and wisdom rather than weakness and insecurity. Again, I am but a wanderer as yourself, so I hope you will challenge these ideas for yourself and see if they are true.
I'll conclude with a reflection on my own time at EGHS. The material I learned help equip me for challenging coursework, but more importantly, the conversations I had and people I met kept my mind open in this increasingly narrow-minded society we live in. In particular, I felt that my time in the English department of EGHS significantly changed my trajectory as a student and as a human being. It was only through exploration and analysis of writing that my mind could successfully wrestle with the thoughts I've mentioned above. Even amidst my hiding from that essential truth, I chose to make some parts of school matter to me personally, on a deep level, not just for getting the diploma or college admission.
Those parts of school that I invested in on a personal level have continued to blossom and reward me. Fellow student, I implore you to choose to matter as well.
-Chris Luo
EGHS '14
Brown University '18
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