I couldn’t believe that high school was over, and that I had only these last few moments to make a statement and spend time with my Somerville High classmates. The next day, some of us would be starting summer jobs, others packing for exotic vacations, and a few would be preparing for careers in the military, but all of us would be official high school graduates, and we probably wouldn’t see each other again until our first class reunion, which of course not everyone would attend. It was a very unreal experience. There was not much I could do about it, so I simply walked across the stage (without falling—yes!) and flashed a wide smile as I held my red diploma and posed for the stereotypical here’s-my-diploma-and-I’m-so-nervous-omg professional picture. When I walked off the stage, I was no longer a high school student, but a rising college freshman ready to start my new journey. 

As I think about my future in college, I am filled with both nerves and excitement about starting, but my excitement starts to take over more and more control over my nerves every day. I started cherishing little moments, like the amazing quality time that I am able to spend with my mother now (we have gotten along so much better since summer started, and have spent more time together these past few months than we have during my lifetime) and I am working hard at my summer job to help pitch in towards my college expenses. Life is good.

I am most looking forward to learning to be completely independent. Since I was a little girl, I have always had such an independent spirit, but moving away to college eight hours away from my home will give a completely different meaning to my independence. I am least looking forward to not being able to see my mom every day, considering how close we’ve gotten this past summer, but I know that I’ll have Skype and letters and phone calls to keep in touch with her, and that it will all work out together perfectly in the end.

June 5th may have been a big day, but August 23rd will be bigger. I will move into my dorm at my dream college, meet my new roommate (embrace my second roommate whom I have known since preschool), and breathe in the fresh Pennsylvania air as I realize that this will be my new life for the next four years, and boy am I looking forward to cherishing every single minute of it.

Too often, we are quick to give compliments to others, but refuse to pay tribute to ourselves at the end of the day. Magazines are constantly bombarding us as teens with images of the “perfect body,” one that is often unachievable. Meanwhile, commercials on television are clearly marketing ways to get us to “listen up” and purchase what they have in store for us so that we seem cooler and hipper to try and impress people that we don’t particularly care for.

Through the flood of negativity, is it still possible to develop a positive self image? The answer, with time, is an optimistic yes.

It’s important to remember that in order to develop a positive self image, you must fall in love with yourself.

What makes you feel special, unique, and happy? Is it the dimples on your cheeks when you smile, the curve you feel when you place your hands on your hips, or the way your legs and feet help you to run? Your body was carefully made, flaws and all, and it’s still beautiful.

Do you have any shining academic talents? Are you able to mix chemicals until you find the perfect formula, add numbers into what seem like impossible equations, recite the names of every United States president, or write an engaging thesis in less than five minutes flat? You can always keep learning and growing.

You also can’t forget your personality traits. If you can brighten someone’s day with your smile or kindness, make your friends laugh at your jokes through your free spirit, or be a trustworthy advice guru because you know how to keep secrets and stay non-judgmental, those are all parts of who you are as a whole person that others really value and appreciate.

When learning to develop a more positive self image, it’s also critical to remember that the media isn’t always true. Photographs are edited and commercials are scripted, but you are still your silly, young and energetic self, and that cannot be taken away from you.

A way to learn more about what you care about is by helping others. If there is a social, world or community issue that is pressing on your heart, find out about a local organization that you can volunteer with on a weekly or monthly basis. By engaging in a service that you care about where you are able to see firsthand that works to change lives, you can take pride in your abilities and the fact that you are helping those who are not able to help themselves. You can also meet and interact with people that you might not normally have conversations with, who may indirectly teach you to value yourself more. You may even remind them of their own value by helping them during their trials.

The journey towards a positive self image is a long road, but one that you don’t have to face alone. Feel free to talk with your friends, family and other loved ones about what you can do for yourself to help you to feel more confident so that you can take on the world, standing tall and proud, knowing that you are worth it!