By: Emily Briselli
Selecting a path, in career or in life, isn’t the easiest decision.
On Friday April 29, 2016, Hershey High School’s first ever Community Day kicked off with seven charismatic student speakers, all of whom shared the personal journey they took to find and use their passions. Each individual took a unique path towards discovering where their passions lie, but their message was clear across the board: find your passion and follow it.
Owen Pearl
https://youtu.be/HgoMTyO3Yb0
Senior Owen Pearl shares how he made high school matter to him.
Senior Owen Pearl took to the stage to talk to his peers about the importance of discovering what you value in your life, and allowing it to be a part of all aspects of what you do. Pearl shared that his values comes from his faith, and because of this, his Christianity is the foundation of everything that he does. He has not “compartmentalized” himself as a drummer or a “band nerd”, but rather as a Christian who is also a drummer, and a Christian who is also a “band nerd.”
Joseph Abraham
Joseph Abraham, also a senior at HHS, addressed the audience about the philosophy behind the HHSHumans instagram account that he helped to facilitate this year. He stressed that “every individual is unique and different,” and that they hoped to showcase the wide range of personalities at HHS through pictures with short quotes. Abraham added that it is important to embrace what makes us all different, a goal that he hopes Humans of Hershey helps to achieve.
Mallika Kodavatiganti
Senior Mallika Kodavatiganti has always had a passion for photography, so her involvement in the instagram endeavor Humans of Hershey provided her an outlet to use her photography skills for a good purpose. Before, when she shot pictures, Kodavatiganti commented that “they were pretty to add to my wall, but that was really it.” She wanted her pictures to make a difference in the lives of other people, and highlighting the unique aspects of seniors at HHS through Humans of Hershey has allowed her to do so. After seeing all the unique personalities and passions of HHS students, Kodavatiganti challenged her peers to find their passion, and use it to drive you to reach your goals.
Carlos Gonzalez
https://youtu.be/rR5sxaF2sao
Senior Carlos Gonzalez jokes that his involvement in HHS clubs was because of “all the free food.”
Senior Carlos Gonzalez spoke of his “go with the flow” approach to life, and encouraged those around him to take a similar stance while still in high school. Gonzalez’s assertion that “the world really isn’t all the concerned about you,” allows you to discover who you truly are and what you are truly passionate about. He spoke of “looking out for yourself in this world,” and said that there is no magical answer to everything, so just take life as it comes and you will turn out fine.
Paxton Zeis
Senior Paxton Zeis, also nearing the end of her high school year, reflected back on the last four years of her life and how they have shaped her today. She opened up about the difficult three months she faced before she started at Hershey High School, in which she lost her grandfather, moved 600 miles away from home, and faced her father’s diagnosis of Stage 4 throat cancer. Difficulties aside, Zeis was still intent on making high school enjoyable, and set her sights on making as many friends as she could. She remembered that just one person smiling back at her in the hallway that first week gave her the encouragement she needed to try new things, join new clubs, and make many new friends in the process. Her involvement in extracurriculars led her to audition for the spring musical, which was the “one show that helped me find that thing that I [Zeis] will be doing for the rest of my life.” Zeis’ willingness to try new things helped her discover what she is most passionate about, and will follow for the rest of her life.
Alexa Buck
Senior Alexa Buck shared her journey with self acceptance and confidence, which she feels is an integral part of everyone’s life. She shared her difficulty with body image and feeling accepted as she entered high school, and spoke about how she transformed into a confident individual in everyday life. She stressed that her idea to fake confidence eventually ended up making her confident, to the point where today she is “immensely happy with who I am as a person.” Buck told her peers that the most important person to make happy is yourself, so don’t live your life based on the validation of others.
