It is said that “life is like looking through a keyhole. Too many people spend their lives trying to make the keyhole bigger instead of unlocking the door.”  West is the key to that door and the other side is success. We’ve noticed that freshmen too often try to make the keyhole bigger, and it’s not until senior year that people really try and unlock the door.  We as teenagers need to put ourselves out there and be open to new ideas and experiences. The new experiences we go through in high school build character and shape us as young men and women, as well as introduce us to lifelong friends.  The opportunities that high school (especially West) provides to teenagers is quite extensive and has something for everyone. 

One of the best parts of getting involved is the friends that you will make through different activities.  Meeting new people, especially for a freshman, is one of the most fun things you can do in high school. With about 400 students per grade, there’s tons of new people to meet and plenty of friends to make.  You never know who your new best friend could be. It is really easy to make friends in clubs because the other people that are there have similar interests, which can also be an easy icebreaker. Having connections with all your peers will help you succeed because no matter what you do in life, you will always have to talk to people. Another good reason to get involved is because you develop relationships with teachers.  Many teachers at West are the coach or adviser of a sport or club, and having those relationships will give you more opportunities. A big part of applying for colleges is getting a letter of recommendation. A teacher is a lot more likely to give you a good recommendation if they know that you are involved in the school. And in addition to that, colleges also take your extracurricular involvement into consideration when looking at your application.

Keep all this in mind when you are deciding what to do in your high school experience.  Always remember, it’s better to try something now than regret not trying it in the future.