When junior Heidi Purnama began high school, she acted outgoing, silly and kind. In reality, however, she was struggling with depressive thoughts. “I projected a completely different person than who I felt like internally,” she said. “People didn’t know what I was going through, and I didn’t...

I have been on this planet for 49 years. I have been teaching for 24. I have been a mom for 21.  Sometimes I feel like I really know what I am doing and have this whole life/teaching/mom thing figured out.  Sometimes not.  I think I maybe I will never have it all figured out, but I keep trying and...

Written by Emily Cao “I am intimidated by the fear of being average.” For as long as I could remember, I have always been scared of a lot of different things. As an elementary school student, I had an entire menagerie of fears. They were my little collection of cynicisms about the world around...

Written by Matthew Shi I went into freshman year feeling confident, like most if not all freshmen. I had just graduated from middle school, had done fine in all my academics, and didn’t feel as if I could mess up. For me, the world was limitless, and anything I wanted to do I could accomplish. A...

Written by Lisa Hao As a journalist, I know the importance of storytelling. Personal stories can join communities by offering new perspectives and helping others feel less alone. Although I’m much more accustomed to reporting other people’s stories, I believe it is also important to finally share...

Annie Shuey—Gunn Class of 2011 Whoever said that high school is the best four years of your life sure didn’t spend their weekday evenings in grueling, three-hour-long SAT prep classes. They didn’t spend an anxiety-ridden senior year applying to 19 colleges, only to be rejected by a solid majority....