Article by Aimee Julia Pua
I’m finally in my sixth (and final) year of high school, and as I’ve been spending most of my time over-thinking about college and the future, I’ve also thought a lot about the people who’ve been with me throughout my high school journey so far. So for me, here are some of the people you must thank for your years in high school:
The 8 Types of People You Should Thank for Your High School Years
8. Your Acquaintances
It may just be me, but I feel like acquaintances are the ones who can lift my mood when I’ve been having a bad day. I want to thank them for not ignoring me when they pass by during breaks (probably on their a la Mean Girls way to the comfort room). It’s actually really flattering when people give us some attention, even if it’s just a split-second’s worth. Plus, smiles are much appreciated!
7. Your Friends
It’s really important that we thank the people we’ve made some pretty solid memories with—from our lit, spontaneous jamming sessions to our cheap (and sometimes not-so-cheap) pignuts to our hours-long chikahans (I mean group studies, of course).
Special thanks to those who turn awkward birthday parties of mutual friends into awesome birthday bashes via totally random discussion topics that can range from Korean bangs to our Filipino/Chinese/Filipino-Chinese heritage to our favorite underwear brands, and anything at all!
6. The School Staff
Shout-out to the ates and kuyas who greet you with hearty smiles when you pass by, and to the ones who are there for you when the kid next to you on the bus accidentally vomits on you, or when your giant we-still-don’t-know-why-we-have-to-do-this science project is too heavy for you to bring up to the fifth floor, or when you somehow forget your clothes in the classroom after dismissal. You guys rock!
5. The Food Vendors
Let’s face it: the food vendors near our schools boost our motivation levels to go to school from 0 to 100 real quick. When we’re stressed with acads or are just plain hungry or aren’t hungry at all but just want to chew on something, these guys have our backs! With a small sacrifice from our weekly baons, we can decrease our stress levels, please our tastebuds, and satisfy our stomachs!
4. Your Teachers
They are the heroes who get up early every morning and stay up late every night in an attempt to make us better citizens of society. They might not all be fun, hip, or chill, but they’re the ones who really have our proper education in mind. They’re the ones who want us to succeed, and they’re the ones who have let us pass so far. Thank you for making sure both our efforts and yours haven’t gone to waste!
(While you’re at it, check out this list of the 10 kinds of unforgettable teachers!)
3. Your Best Friends
Of course, we can’t leave out the friends who have turned into family — the ones we’ve spent countless sleepless nights with, talking about anything and everything. I would like to thank them for making crazy decisions with me, whether or not we got in trouble for them, and whether or not I initiated it or they did.
These are the people we know will be in our lives until we all get married, have children, and grow old. We should just get glued together you, know. It’s pretty much the same thing.
2. Your Parents
Well, this one’s a given. Tuition doesn’t pay itself for most of us minors, you know. Also, of course, everything they do is for us. We can never thank them enough.
1. The People Who Drag You Down
Let’s be honest: the people who drag us down, whether they know it or not, are the ones who motivate us to do better, and to be better. It could be because we’re naturally competitive or because we just want to prove that we’re capable of doing anything. Either way, without these people, we’d probably only be 50% of the great people we are today.
If you’re still not feeling thankful for them, check out these 7 movies to watch if you feel like you’ve never “fit in” in school!
But that’s not all.
These aren’t the only people you have to be thankful for. Each person you’ve met throughout your high school life has influenced who you are today and you have every single one of them to thank for making you you.
