September 20th, 2020 
– Does not have to be a full 2 pages it can be a page and a half or so.
I want to write about all of the information below but I do not know how to make it sound interesting and put it all together.
Anxiety and depression has run through my family for many generations as well as other more severe mental illnesses, didn’t think my anxiety would get so bad once i got into hs
I didn’t realize how much it really affects you during your day to day life especially being at a high school as large as nfa was (like a mini college campus). Once sophomore year came around I started having issues in school with focusing or even attending. Having anxiety made me paranoid 24/7. I couldn’t focus in class because of how much I would worry about everything else happening around me. Taking tests, especially long ones like the SAT would cause me to turn into a nervous wreck. While I would sit in the silent room along with all of the other students, I felt lots of pressure. I would look at the clock and scare myself into thinking I wouldn’t have enough time to finish each section causing me to rush and not think clearly. I would focus on my breathing or swallowing, to make sure no one else could hear it otherwise I would think to myself they will be bothered by it. Taking a test made me want to cry and hide. I could never focus sitting in a large room with other students. Getting driven to school was always the worst feeling in the world. I would get so nervous it made me sick to my stomach, my mom would have to pull over for a second to let me get fresh air almost every time, which sometimes caused me to be late to school. Towards the end of first semester of my senior year, my panic attacks got too bad and I couldnt take it anymore. I stopped going to school completely. I spiraled into a depression because I thought I failed life and wouldnt have any way to graduate. That’s until January 2020 when I decided to attend the adult ed school in my home town. Once I got there I felt an instant amount of calmness. My old 7th grade science teacher was the attendance taker, she welcomed me with open arms. The environment was more mature and it was completely different than what I was used to. I was surrounded by adult students and staff that truly cared about my future. I got lots of one on one time making the work I received much easier. My grades became all As for the first time in forever, giving me a boost of confidence. Both my teachers and lots of the other staff treated me as though I’ve been one of their long term friends. My anxiety calmed down and I got the treatment I needed for it. Transferring schools was one of the best decisions I made. I graduated in march which was much earlier than expected and boosted up my grades. I wish every kid who really struggled in school and thought they had no other way to graduate knew that there were many other options to complete their goals.
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