Never Give Up

 Have you ever experienced a truly challenging period in your life? For me, that time was during high school. High school was like a roller coaster of emotions, impacting me emotionally, mentally, and even physically.

During my freshman and sophomore years, everything seemed great. I had a blast making friends, and I even had a high school boyfriend. My grades were good, and I participated in sports and clubs. Life was decent at that moment.

However, after my sophomore year, things took a sudden turn. My dad ended up going to jail, leaving my mom as a single parent having to solely provide for my three siblings and me. This change hit me hard, and I started feeling somewhat depressed.  I decided to take online classes for my junior year, which wasn’t the best of  choices to make during that time.. I became less motivated and felt like giving up. I couldn't exactly understand why I was falling into this dark place, but escaping it felt impossible. I felt like I was all alone, and I even began to question the importance of finishing school.

Staying isolated in my room day in and day out, I started gaining weight, and my declining happiness didn't go unnoticed by my mother. Concerned about my well-being, she reached out to my grandparents, who lived on the Navajo Reservation. They decided it would be best for me to move in with them, and looking back, it was undoubtedly the right decision. This change helped me break free from the darkness that had consumed me and put me back on the path to success in school.

My grandmother, who was also the school's principal, welcomed me into a new environment. It was a refreshing change to be surrounded by familiar faces that I hadn't seen in years. The school was a bit small, it was K-12th grade.  Something ironic is that I had actually graduated from there when I was in kindergarten. Another interesting fact is that I was related to most of the staff and students there. Having to be related to so many people out on the reservation was common, we all knew and grew up with each other. 

Living with my grandparents brought much joy into my life. My grandfather would wake us up every morning with his guitar and singing, while my grandmother would always make some of the best fry bread and tortillas with soup. It’s something I definitely wouldn’t ever get tired of. Observing their happiness made me want to find the same joy in my future. It also made me realize that I needed to change my mindset about life; I wanted to be happy and financially stable. To achieve financial stability, I knew I had to earn my diploma and aim for higher education.

I started pushing myself harder, I was determined to create a better life for myself. I finished all my classes early, around October/November. Afterward, I took extra credit classes, joined the volleyball team, and became a teacher's assistant to help out around the school. I felt a personal responsibility to make a positive impact on my school community, so I became the student president, initiating changes to improve the school environment and make it more enjoyable for students.

If you had asked me during my dark junior year whether I thought I would ever graduate from high school, I probably wouldn't have been able to answer or might have even said no. It's amazing how a change in surroundings and being surrounded by caring people can transform your mindset. It helped me view myself and life differently. Being able to see my family so proud of me receiving my diploma was one of my happiest moments, I’ve never seen my grandfather smile so much before!

 

A quote that I now live by is,"The road to success is always under construction." - Lily Tomlin. Life can get challenging and have a few setbacks however it’s up to you to have the courage to keep going. My message to others is simple: never give up. Surround yourself with positivity and love to help you overcome difficult times. I'm grateful to my family for never giving up on me and for pushing me to strive for a better future.