I have learned a lot at my time in high school. I have learned how to derive an equation, sing in harmony with fifty others, live with a foreign family across the world, calculate angular momentum, drive, fix my Surface Pen, and be a UN delegate from Saudi Arabia. Despite my many new valuable skills and precious memories, high school has provided me with an experience that triumphs all: failure.

I do not want to bore you with (and honestly do not want to relive) each and everything I have failed at. However, I can tell you that each time I was disappointed that I did not get something I desperately wanted, there was always another opportunity at Prep for me to go out for. I could never be sad for too long before I set my eyes on a new goal. As my high school journey continued, I heard the word “no” so many times that it lost its meaning.

Rejection went from belittling me to empowering me. Knowing that the worst possible outcome was simple “no” inspired me to put myself out there in ways I never otherwise would have. I have applied to jobs, internships, and colleges that I am wildly underqualified for. I have talked to people who intimidate me, taken classes that I think will be too challenging, and advocated for myself even when I would have preferred to stay silent. Slowly over the years, I have felt the rejection from my many “noes” shape me into a stronger version of myself. Embracing the inevitability of failure has given me lifelong friends and extraordinary opportunities, and allowed me to grow as a student, friend, daughter, sister, and person.

I cannot properly acknowledge my failures without thanking those who helped pick me back up. I am forever thankful to my marvelous  parents, whose hard work allowed me to chase every opportunity. I am thankful for my teachers’ endless support in me, even when I did not have it myself. I am thankful for all my friends, whose humor often turned my tears of sadness into tears of joy after a particularly hard day.

Finally, as I reflect on the failures that still sting, when I poured myself into an application or studying and still failed, there was always one person who could inspire me to keep going: my dear dad. As I worked parallel to my dad each weeknight, a simple glance to my left has always encouraged me to work past my failures. It is these late nights when we battled through stoichiometry and spreadsheets that my dad went from a parental figure to my ultimate role model and one of my best friends. My dad’s grit has inspired me to push myself in every area of life, and I know I will continue to do so as I enter a new chapter.

So, with four years and many mistakes under my belt, I encourage everyone, no matter how much life you have lived, to not be afraid to fail. Talk to that person, grab that karaoke mic, publish that book, because I have learned that the best moments and the most growth comes from when you are uncomfortable. Thank you Prep, it has been a beautifully rocky ride.