Peyton Fitzgerald

Peyton Fitzgerald - Class of 2017

For the majority of my life, I rarely felt challenged. I cannot say that I knew what failure was or how to adequately deal with it. I had always been regarded as 'the smart kid, and that was what I found my identity in- perfect grades. High school hit like a boulder. After getting my first-ever B in a class (freshman english- I’m sure people can relate), I didn’t know what to do with myself. It seemed like I had lost my identity. On the bus ride home later that week, I was speaking to one of my friends about how the B in this class meant the end of the world (bit of an exaggeration am I right?). She immediately turned to me and said something along the lines of "The fact that school is supposed to teach, and the grade is second to having learned something isn't right." If I had grown from taking that class, being challenged, and failing just a bit, then I had learned something, and that is something to be excited about. I have taken this advice with me throughout high school. I can say that I have done worse in classes and failed in greater capacities many times since then, but I learned that is not what has to define me- I can learn from everything. Fail or succeed, love what you are doing or hate it, that doesn’t matter. Everything serves as a basis for growth. I have flaws (many of them actually) and so does everyone else, but taking this simple idea to heart makes sure that the lows don’t get too low, and life can be good even when it seems bad. Bring it on college...