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Jake White

Bowyer

Expos. P.6

9 May 2019

The High School Experience

During my 8th grade year, Mr. Volek visited my middle school, and said that high school

was a place where he met a lot of his friends, and was one of the best times in his life. Four years

later, I believe the same thing as I did then: he is wrong. High school is an almost complete

waste of time, and, if not for a few select classes and extracurriculars, my knowledge would be

almost identical to when I came into it as a freshman. However, thanks to Natural Resources,

Speech and Debate, the Math Department, and my various AP classes, I actually learned a little.

Without a doubt, joining Natural Resources was the best decision I made in 8th grade.

When I made that decision, I had no idea that I would end up keeping bees, in fact I was focused

on optimizing solar energy because new, efficient ways of doing things were some of my

favorite things to find. During my sophomore year though, I picked up an agitated frame full of

bees, and because they pick up on pheromones, they immediately calmed down as their droning

whine became a subdued, gentle buzzing. Right then and there I realized that, not only were

these creatures incredible, but they made me happy to be around. I consider that a major turning

point in my high school career, because it is the moment that I became a person with feelings,

rather than a being obsessed with maximizing efficiency in every aspect in life, and, by doing so,

I decided to allow myself to have feelings and to pursue my own happiness.

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Speech and Debate has molded me into the person I am today. Because I decided my

freshman year to compete in an event centered around the knowledge of foreign and domestic

affairs, I began to pour myself into world events. Four years later, I know more than the majority

of my peers about the world. This knowledge will not only open new avenues for me as I pursue

higher education, but it also will let me contribute more to society than some of my peers.

Furthermore, Speech and Debate taught me leadership skills. Starting in my sophomore year, I

was named a captain, and suddenly had more responsibility than most of my colleagues, even

though I was younger than most of them.

I strongly believe that the Math Department at El Dorado High School is the best from

top to bottom. Either that, or I have just been extremely lucky in what teachers I have gotten. Mr.

Kasnic, Mr. Sarge, Mr. Round, and of course, Mr. Orris, have all furthered my love for the

universal language, and it is directly because of their influence that I am pursuing a degree in

mathematics in college next year. I cannot begin to thank them enough for the guidance they

have given to me, or the path that they have illuminated for me.

The final defining factor of my high school experience are my Advanced Placement

classes, specifically those taught by Mrs. Reifke, Ms. Schultz, Mr. Orris, and Ms. Larson. A.P.

Biology firmly established my love of science, and got me my first job. In just one year, I

learned so much about the complexity of life, from a molecular level, and it really gave me

appreciation for how amazing everything around me truly is. APUSH and AP Government both

helped me understand the United States more. Without her influence, I would not have been so

eager to volunteer at the polling place for the midterm elections in 2018, and, more importantly, I

would not understand the intricacies of politics, and I would not be as eager to go to law school
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as I am. As I already mentioned, my love of mathematics has only grown under Mr. Orris. He is

the first teacher that I can remember that has taught their subject which so much bravado that the

entire class has been excited to learn it, and he teaches AP Calculus. He truly embodies the old

phrase, “If you love your job, you will not work a day in your life,” and inspires me to find my

calling and treat it the same way he does. Finally, we have Ms. Larson. I do not think I have ever

met a person who is as intelligent as she is. It is precisely because of her intelligence that she

earns everyone’s respect, nearly right away, and any feedback she gives is justly treated like

gold. I hope that I remember the lessons she taught me, and, more importantly, I hope that I

remember all of the criticism she had for my writing moving forward, because it is such a huge

advantage to have had a college-quality teacher give you feedback when you are in high school.

Was high school fun? Not really. Did I learn a lot each year? Certainly not. But, I would

not change a thing about my experience. As painful as it was at times, I have emerged on the

other side more well rounded, and more mature than most people are when they finish college. I

may not have enjoyed high school, but ultimately I am glad for the experiences I have had.

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