Responsibility is not something that holds us back, it is what helps us to be strong. So why is this important to us now?

As I stand here and look at the few months of my time at Hoover I have realized that the word responsibility has been a big part of my teenage years. For some time I thought responsibility was a bad thing, like carrying a heavy bag with lots of work and pressure to be successful. Now that I’m getting ready to leave Hoover and start my young adulthood, I’ve begun to think differently about responsibility. 

In school it is easy to think that responsibility is about doing what we are told, finishing our homework on time, or going to practice. Those things are important but real responsibility is about taking care of ourselves. It is about knowing that we are in charge of our lives. When we take responsibility for our choices we stop watching our lives happen and start making things happen for ourselves.

 We are at an age where our parents are not always there to help us. If we do not learn to take care of our minds, our time, and our values now, we will not be ready for the freedom that we will have soon. Responsibility is what helps us to make our dreams real and is the difference between saying “I wish I had tried harder” compared to “I am proud of what I have done”.

To my seniors and to other fellow peers, do not be afraid of the hard work ahead. Remember that it is okay to be scared but to also take responsibility for your life and own growth. Let us leave Hoover with not just a diploma but also the wisdom to know that our future is up to us to create.  We can make our future and we can make it a good one. Responsibility is our tool and we should use it to make our lives better.

It is time to step up and take charge, not because we have to, but because we can!