As the seniors’ time here at Lewis Cass is coming to an end, it is time to start filling out scholarships. When filling out scholarships, they tend to ask for many different clubs and activities that people have been involved in over the course of their four years in high school. Many seniors also struggle trying to keep track of their accomplishments and activities, and thinking back to freshman year. The question I tend to ask myself while filling out scholarships is, “What did I wish I knew as a freshman?” Many other seniors here at Lewis Cass have pondered this question as well.
According to Lewis Cass, senior and valedictorian, Kathryn Hurst, “I wish I knew how much information it takes to fill out a scholarship application. If I had known that, I would have documented everything, like community service or awards, so that way it would be easier for me now. Also, senior Brody Hillis stated, “I wish I knew that my grades would affect my future more than I thought they would. Not only can they decide if you get into your dream college, but also if you get scholarships to that college.” Another senior, Michael Myers, stated, “One thing I wish I knew was the impact of grades from freshman year. If I understood that they had an effect on my GPA long-term, I would have tried harder to raise them higher.” Lastly, fellow senior, Kennedy McLaughlin, mentioned, “As a freshman, I wish I joined more clubs and taken on more of a leadership role in those activities because a lot of scholarships are looking for students who are active leaders in clubs. It also helps to have a lot of interests and hobbies so you can find more unique scholarships.” Many of these seniors all stated they wish they had tried harder on their grades freshman year, joined more clubs, and taken better track of their accomplishments and activities.
Many seniors have advice they would give back to their freshmen selves. According to senior Maria Soto-Juniper, “I would tell myself to not be afraid to put myself out there more, and that I am not the only one who thinks I don’t know what I am doing. You have to be bad before you’re good, which includes doing something without knowing how to first.” Along with Maria, senior, Danny Manzano states, “ I’d remind myself to slow down and actually enjoy the small moments like talking with friends in the hallway, late night talks, clubs, classes, and the unexpected matters. I’d say to take more chances, ask more questions, and not be so afraid of messing up, because those mistakes end up teaching you more than playing it safe. Basically, be present because one day you’ll wish you had been.” As a senior myself, I agree with the advice from both Maria and Danny.
Also, a recognition that seniors have includes Latin Honors. Latin Honors signifies students who demonstrate a strong work ethic, which I encourage all freshmen to do. Freshman year matters most because it sets the foundation for Latin Honors if they maintain a strong work ethic. Latin Honors means any student who has a grade point average of 3.5 or higher. According to senior Hailee Roeske, she recommends that freshmen balance the difficulty of their classes. Hailee states, “You don’t need to take 5 AP classes every year, as an upperclassman, to get Latin honors. Just taking a couple and then balancing the workload of those with your regular classes will help more. It is better to average A’s in your regular classes and a few APs than overstress yourself with too many hard classes and end up with Bs and Cs instead. Focus on quality over quantity.”
Overall, I wish I knew all of these tips and advice as a freshman because it would have made filling scholarships out much easier. I think freshmen should understand that the seniors are being completely honest with them. Also, knowing all of this information would have made senior year slightly less stressful. I encourage all freshmen to keep track of all of their community service and activities, and join as many clubs as they can along the way. The more involved someone is, the better! Lastly, I encourage all freshmen to try their hardest in everything they do because it starts the foundation for their senior year. As a senior, take it one day at a time freshmen because time flies by, and senior year will come quicker than you think.
