The following essays were written by Whatcom County graduating seniors and placed first and second in CDN’s student essay contest.
First place: Adrian Cairns, Options High School
Prompt: What does resilience mean to you?
I’ve struggled from my first breath.
I was born a micro preemie four months early and the doctors said there was a 4% chance I would live. But here I am today, sitting and writing you this paper. I’d call that resilience.
My lung collapsed right after birth. Four days later, I had another pneumothorax and was resuscitated.
I’d like to think I’m on Earth for a reason. I spent 118 days in the neonatal intensive care unit constantly fighting for my life and was part of the study for nitric oxide (which is something they now often use for micro preemies). From the moment I was born, I was resilient.
That’s a story I can now share with other families and parents in the NICU who are scared for their children and need hope. I can show them how far I’ve come — that I was once just like their kid, and we do turn out OK.
I’ve been called resilient many times throughout my life. During middle school graduation we were all given a word that the teachers associated with us. Mine was resilience. I’ve had other teachers, doctors and family members call me resilient, too, so I feel it has followed me throughout my life. No matter if it was a big or small challenge to overcome, I tried my best and survived.
I didn’t do it all alone, though. Over the years I have found a supportive community that helps me grow and learn, and a place where I finally feel like I’m home and part of something.
Being queer in today’s society is hard, especially with all the anti-trans and anti-queer bills introduced. Sometimes it feels hopeless and helpless to keep going when people are trying to destroy us, but the queer community I’ve found has lifted me up more than I knew possible. Within it, I feel safe and able to be my true self, free from hate. We’re a loving, supportive community of people just trying to get by and live our authentic lives. Our existence isn’t harmful, it’s based on love, and when we come together, no one can tear us down. I am grateful to find people like that who have taught me it’s OK to be myself.
I think everyone is resilient to some extent, and we’re all just trying to live life. Even if that resilience fades, it’s still always there, and that’s what matters. Life is hard sometimes, and it’s difficult to keep going, but there will always be more good moments. You might feel utterly alone and lost, like no one is there for you or cares, but I promise you, there are people out there who care. I know no matter who you are, I’d rather listen to you talk about your problems than hear about you fading away. And even if it’s just a little hope you have left, hang onto it and build that up. That is resilience.
I have learned a lot over the years. I’ve learned how to deal with my depression and mental health and how to be proud of being Native American and queer when I once was scared. I am still learning and taking steps to better myself. Any type of recovery isn’t linear — it has ups and downs just like life, but that’s OK. As long as you’re trying your best and are still here, that’s resilience to me.
Second place: Bailey Wildermuth, Blaine High School
Prompt: What did you learn about yourself, school and society through the COVID-19 pandemic?
Seven months into my freshman year of high school, I am standing in the cafeteria with my friends. All of our phones buzz, and we pull them out of our pockets to read that we will be out of school for two weeks due to the outbreak of COVID-19. Many were excited and others unsure about what we just found out. Before the two weeks are up, we find out we will not be going back to school for an undetermined amount of time. We have to go into lockdown and stay home. Little did we know, we would not be returning to school for 11 long months.
It felt like my world was crashing down all around me as I found out that I could not see my friends, and I wasn’t even able to leave the house unless it was “necessary.” For a 15-year-old girl who just started high school, it seemed as though the pandemic was never going to end. Little did I know that I would become a better person because of it. The pandemic really showed me what was truly important to me. During the pandemic, I grew in my faith, and I grew in my relationships. My life slowed down, and with this time, I was able to take a step back and really find who I want to be as a person.
Having to move classes online halfway through the year was not easy. It was a struggle everyday sitting behind a computer for hours on end just staring back at yourself. Many students found they really enjoyed being online, but I yearned for personal connection. I learned just how important school can be. School is not just about learning and doing it just because the law says so. School teaches us how to communicate and form relationships. The day that I got to walk back into that building for the first time was so different, yet it felt so good.
Society has become disconnected from one another. There is less human interaction and learning from one another, as society has become more advanced. I can talk to someone from anywhere in the world. You no longer have to meet up with someone or write them a letter to be able to talk to them. Once the pandemic started, everyone realized we were taking face-to-face interactions for granted once we no longer had that luxury. Everyone was craving it. I did not realize how disconnected we had become. Our society came together in a way no one could have ever imagined.
I am not the same person I was almost four years ago when lockdown started. My whole world changed. We may never go back to “normal,” but I truly do not want to go back . The pandemic has changed me and the world forever. I am excited for the day I can tell my children and my grandchildren about what changed my life for the better.
