High School by Saanvi Sharma

Four years people describe as either amazing or hellish.

For me, they were transformative.

Every day, I walked through the heavy glass doors with a smile on my face,

Dealing with pressures- my inner struggle-

I always tried my best to be liked by everyone:

Earning the highest grades in each class,

Making my mom proud,

Helping my dad shred endless stacks of papers in his office,

And cheering at many football games with my brother.

Even though I had no clue what was happening.

Throughout my life, I’ve been a stellar student,

A dependable coworker,

A proud daughter,

A loyal sister,

and friend to many,

But still, I wonder – who am I?

In my eyes, I am growing.

Growing from the negatives

Emerging from the challenges

But I am also growing through the positives:

constantly evolving into someone better.

I believe I am strong.

I am kind.

I am imperfect, yet a perfectionist.

I am finding my spark, and I know the shine will remain.

My inner power brought 

A growth and transformation these four years

Thank you, High School, you were transformative.

Bio:

Saanvi Sharma, a senior in high school, is attending internship at the Texas Woman’s University's Language and Culture departmentwithin the English and Rhetoric unit and the Write Site. With a passion for academia and writing, Saanvi demonstrates a deep commitment to research in storytelling, language, and cultural exploration. Saanvi has honed her craft through participation in prestigious leadership programs at esteemed institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Rice University, and Carnegie Young Leaders Civic Preparedness.

Saanvi’s upcoming publications include fiction essays featured in reputed literary journals, such as "Chewers by Masticadores,”USA, “Literary Revelations," USA. Her non-fiction essay will be published by “Literary Heist,” Canada. Currently, she is working on a feature article manuscript that shares the stories and experiences of immigrant families.