#BeAHardworker. #BeADoctor. #BeAWinner. In your journey of finding
identity, you are challenged by your parents, friends, and peers to strive
for greatness. You are constantly bombarded with expectations to rise high
above others, to be a competitive person, to pursue after prestigious uni-
versities, and above all, to be a perfect person. While expectations may
be beneficial, having too many expectations, that are not self-derived, can
dictate the direction of your goals and even cause you to lose sight of your
identity.
To stay true to who you are, it is important to discover your values. Role
models are one way you can explore and discover these principles. In your
aspirations to be like them, you adopt their ideals. While there is nothing
wrong with adopting ideals of others, you should remind yourself that God
designed you to have a unique identity and purpose; you were not created
to be a copy, but to be authentic.
Celebrate everything that makes you, you. Go out and be an academic,
an athlete, a leader, an extrovert, an introvert, a gamer, a singer, an artist,
a writer, a thespian, a fashionista, a volunteer, a friend, a mentor, and any-
thing else that fits who you are.
During this school year, Mr. Lozano, Student Life Minister, has chal-
lenged you to #BeXealous. In your learning environment, teachers have
challenged you to #BeResponsible. When you played sports your coach-
es challenged you to #BeATeamPlayer. While facing difficulties, you chal-
lenged yourself to #BePositive.
But most importantly, whenever and wherever you are,
just #BeYou.
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