“This has been the worst year ever!!” That’s what my best friend shouted at me the other day, and it got me thinking about my sophomore year. This year has been filled with ups and downs, new memories, challenging classes, new found interests, and new friendships that I’ll always cherish. You only get one sophomore year, and I hope I made the most out of this year because I’ll never get it back.

I’m lucky to call myself a Clement’s newspaper reporter this year and be on the staff because I’ve learned a lot from my team and my great teacher, Ms. Carroll. I have learned to interact with others through people skills and better understand their story. Through this experience, I have grown as a person and became a better writer. I’ve also very much enjoyed getting to know all the caring and hilarious people on the staff. They’ve taught me how to let loose and be happy when I’m feeling down. I’m truly grateful for each and every one of them. With their help, I’ve found a deeper love for writing this year and I’m excited to keep writing for the newspaper next year!

While I have enjoyed my newspaper class, my other classes have been rough. I’m not going to sugar-coat it because I’ve hit stress levels that you wouldn’t think were possible to hit! I took my first AP class this year, World History AP, and my goodness, it’s been a challenge. Even though I’ve found it hard to keep up in that class, I’ve enjoyed learning about new topics and getting to know my wonderful teacher, Mrs. Craddock.

This year I’ve also dealt with the loss of old friendships with people I’ve been close with since freshman year. It’s been really hard for me to watch some of my good friends fall with the wrong crowd, head in a complete different path than me, and disappear from my life completely.

Although I’ve gone through hard times this year, I’ve gained something so incredibly big that it outweighs the bad. I’ve gained a team and about 40 new friendships to go along with it! This year I made the JV Volleyball team and trying out for the team was probably the best decision I’ve ever made. I have met the most caring, funniest, and most positive people in the Clements volleyball program and I’m proud to call myself a Clements volleyball player. I’ve been playing volleyball since the 5th grade and I’ve never felt so welcomed on a team before. All of my teammates this year have made me feel confident as well as like an important member of the family. They’re always there to bring me up and instill the best version of myself. I know that they’ll always be there for me and I’ll always be there for them.

My coaches, Coach Rogers and Coach Adcock, have made a huge impact on me this year. Both of them have made me feel like a true member of the team. They’ve shown me the true definition of hard work and perseverance. In the beginning of the season, they took a chance on me, saw my potential, and put me on their team. I’ll forever be grateful for that because that changed my life. Not only have I gotten to play the sport I love, but I’ve also met amazing people through this experience and I’m excited to continue playing and training for the next season!

I definitely want to mention some tips that’ll help anyone with sophomore year. First off, have fun! Don’t get too caught up in all your classes. Remember to take a break every once in awhile and spend some time with your friends and family. Do not procrastinate! You shouldn’t put all that extra stress on yourself. Just get the assignment done as soon as you can and don’t wait till the last minute. These things can make or break your sophomore so make sure you’re aware of the struggles that may come and how to avoid them.

This year has overall been a messy, crazy, and fun-filled year with new experiences, friendships, and memories. I truly can say that I’ve made the most of my sophomore year and I’ve worked extremely hard to be where I am right now. I can’t wait to experience what junior year has in store for me.