One of my greatest weaknesses has always been my lack of confidence. Throughout high school I was able to work on this and gain more confidence than I had as a freshman. What helped me gain this confidence were the many activities I participated in.
Marching band was something that really helped me gain confidence. When I joined, I had never held a flag. As the season went on, I slowly gained more confidence. As the competitions continued and I continued to practice, I became more confident in my skills.
Our third place win at championships gave me a confidence boost that I needed. The win showed me that I knew what I was doing and could be confident in my skills.
My second year gave me even more confidence in myself. I was able to help the new members gain confidence, just as previous members had helped me. Without the confidence I had gained, I would have never been able to help the new members find confidence of their own.
My time on the Purbalite helped me gain confidence in my writing skills. I have always liked to write, but I have always been terrified to show it to people. I would always wait until the last minute to turn in essays, and I would feel weird when I let people read something I wrote.
Being published on the Purbalite has allowed me to gain confidence in my writing. Now I feel less awkward when letting someone read something I wrote, and I am not as scared when I turn in essays.
Another thing that helped me gain confidence was my part-time job at Pet Supplies Plus. This job has helped me gain the social skills that I greatly needed. When I first started I was very shy, and I would ask my manager questions all the time.
As I worked there longer, I was able to learn more about animals and my confidence grew. I was able to answer questions that I had not been able to before.
This confidence allowed me to be able to train new staff members. I have also been able to help people find what they need. Without my job, I would not be as confident in social settings as I am now.
I have noticed, in the past year, how my newfound confidence has impacted other parts of my life. During my senior exit interview, I was able to be confident in my answers and in myself.
This confidence will hopefully only continue to grow as I continue into college. Without my high school activities, I would not have the confidence I now have.
