Written by Kathryn Burke, Staff Writer
Senior Sadie Russell shares her high school journey, expressing gratitude for her experiences with sports, faith, teachers, and life lessons.
Sadie has spent countless hours involving herself in various clubs and sports, but what had challenged her most was water polo and swim. Both are very difficult sports that add stress to one’s physical and mental capabilities, however, they inspired Sadie to “talk more” and “lead by example.” Water polo is very demanding, requiring constant swimming, team coordination, and intense defense, forcing Sadie to challenge herself to “do more” to succeed. The long practices and intense games have driven Sadie to do her best as an athlete and student. Through time, the stress of maintaining grades and a sport inevitably began to build, but Sadie expressed her luck for having “all the girls” to support her. The teams bond strengthened over time, helping one another through whatever necessary, in which Sadie shares her appreciation for it the experience. She encourages others to be involved in sports to learn and make new relationships.
Throughout her life, Sadie has devoted her life to following her faith, and eventually joining the Believers club at Poly. Sadie has developed deep and meaningful relationships through the Christian club, explaining how she has met one of her closest friend through the meetings, by valuing the connection built on similar virtues. The club allowed her the opportunity to strengthen her faith through teenage years, as navigating the beginning of adulthood as a Christian can bring challenges rarely talked about. Sadie reflects on the impact being a devoted Christian has had on her character, seeing a visible change as being “softer and happier,” forming “better friendships,” and allowing her to find a “purpose in [herself] and career.” Sadie was asked if there was any advice she would give to her younger self or any other people making the transition into adulthood as a Christian, to which she replied that although it appears intimidating, without full acceptance to learning about and accepting God, there is no “ability to understand what Christianity is about.” The journey itself requires a change in “perspective and reality,” seemingly being the hardest step, though for Sadie, understanding the “why,” behind saying, “yes to God” was the most difficult aspect.
As the years go by, there are some friends and teachers who have a significant role in your life, Sadie had Mrs. Mejia and Mr. Schulte. Both teachers provided her with a safe space to be herself, offering advice, letters of recommendations, quiet spaces, and new perspectives. Sadie admires how both teachers are authentic, kind people, with classes that truly spiked her interests. Having teachers with such a big impact on your life is not something that comes regularly, and it is something Sadie holds dearly to her heart, encouraging people to get to know their teachers, and allow them to know you.
Sadie learned many valuable things through her time at Poly, lessons that she believes everyone should carry with them. 1) “The little things can really impact someone.” No matter the action, taking the time to listen and provide a safe environment for someone, or showing up for them and offering support, could affect the course of one’s life. Taking the two minutes to open someones door, compliment them, ask how their day was, or even apologize for bumping their shoulder in the hallway, could open the opportunities for lifelong friendships. Sadie believes that people are quick to say “whatever,” but those small interactions are what show your true character and intentions. 2) Through all the difficult choices, boring last minutes of class, and exciting moments at school events, Sadie has learned to appreciate and hold onto every moment as if it were her last. To stay “mentally prepared” with “healthy habits” to get through seemingly impossible moments of everyday is critical. Living a life without regrets, doubts, or worries, starts by treating “everyone in your lives like we might lose them the next day,” ensuring that whatever choices we make, or last words said, were done with confidence and stability. 3) Part of growing up is learning how to manage the stressful situations life throws at you, but specifically, acknowledging that “there is no excuse to treat someone badly.” Experiencing painful things that seem to weaken you, is not an opportunity to ignore someone else’s failures or success. Sadie shows great gratitude for her shift in perspective acquired through her teen years, hoping that everyone takes these lessons with them, allowing for self betterment.
With graduation approaching, there are many things Sadie wished she had known sooner. Such as how humbling application processes are, the shift in relationships, and being met with higher expectations as you age. Sadie was met with some unexpected “reality checks,” conducting extra research to learn about necessities for transitioning from high school to college. Despite the difficulties, Sadie doesn’t regret a moment from the four years, valuing the lessons learned, and only trying to spare others from hard situations of her own experiences. She advises upcoming juniors and seniors to do their research for scholarship applications and learn more about what it is you desire after high school. Sadie is committed to California State University Channel Islands, looking forward to being one of the Dolphins.