Overcoming Shyness in High School

The Beginning

Freshman year was rough, not gonna lie. Walking into Highland High that first day, I felt like I was wearing some kind of invisible "awkward" sign. You know that feeling when your hands don't seem to know what to do and your voice gets stuck somewhere between your brain and your mouth? Yeah, that was me, like, all the time.

The Daily Struggle

Every morning was the same routine: trying to make myself as invisible as possible. I'd get to class early to avoid the hallway crowds, eat lunch in the library (shoutout to Mrs. Peterson, the librarian who pretended not to notice), and basically became a pro at avoiding any situation where I might have to, you know, actually talk to people.

The Breaking Point

Things changed during sophomore year. Not in some dramatic movie moment way, but because of Spanish class. Mrs. Rodriguez had this evil (okay, not really evil) policy of randomly pairing people up for conversations. My worst nightmare, right? The day she paired me with Emma, I almost had a panic attack.

Unexpected Turn

But here's the weird thing - Emma was just as nervous as me. She kept messing up her verbs, and instead of feeling awkward about it, we both started laughing. Like, really laughing. Over conjugating "estar" wrong. Who knew bad Spanish could be so funny?

Small Steps

After that, things started changing bit by bit. Emma and I started sitting together in class, then at lunch. Turns out hiding in the library isn't as fun as sharing terrible cafeteria pizza with someone who gets your weird jokes. Who knew?

The Drama Club Incident

Junior year, Emma convinced me to join Drama Club. Not to act - god no - but to help with the tech stuff. Setting up lights, running sound, that kind of thing. Being backstage was perfect - I could be part of something without being in the spotlight.

Finding My Voice

Something happens when you're the one controlling the spotlight - you start feeling more in control generally. I started talking more in class, first just in small groups, then actually raising my hand sometimes. My English teacher nearly fell off her chair the first time I volunteered to read aloud.

The Real Breakthrough

Senior year's homecoming was coming up, and this guy from my Physics class, Mike, asked if I could help him with the lighting for the dance (yeah, I'd become the go-to tech person by then). Halfway through setting up, he asked me to go with him. Past-me would've passed out. Present-me only briefly considered hiding under the bleachers.

Looking Back Now

I still get nervous sometimes - that didn't magically go away. But now I know that being shy isn't the same as being broken. Some of us just take a little longer to warm up, and that's okay.

What Changed

The biggest change wasn't suddenly becoming super outgoing. It was realizing that being shy wasn't my whole personality - just a part of it. Like, I could be shy AND funny, shy AND good at lighting design, shy AND have friends who got me.

Lessons Learned

Here's what I figured out: everyone's awkward in high school. Literally everyone. Even the kids who seem to have it all together are freaking out about something. We're all just trying to figure ourselves out.

If you're reading this and you're that shy kid eating lunch alone - it gets better. Not in a dramatic movie makeover way, but in small steps that add up over time. Find your Emma, find your lighting booth, find whatever makes you feel like yourself.

P.S. I still sometimes hide in corners at parties, but now it's because I want to, not because I have to. Progress, right?