Bradley

Hola. The day I walked into Green Hope High School for the first time, I was probably 5 feet tall and weighed barely 100 pounds. I was the small kid that everyone called their “little brother” or “shrimp.” I was fairly self-conscious of my size, and it affected my attitude a lot. I used it almost as a “launching pad” for me to succeed in high school. I was the kid that tried harder at everything than anyone else, including academically and athletically throughout high school. Even before high school, I was always outside playing sports or just outside playing with friends. I was the kid that was never home in time for dinner. The outdoors and sports were always my outlet. In my freshman year, I played four sports: JV soccer, swimming, diving, and track. Sports were always a way for me to relieve my stress and enjoy myself. Freshman year for me was really a learning year. I learned the “ways” of high school and I learned how to make myself successful. Freshman year was by far one of the most stressful times in my life. Sophomore year was much easier for me and it went much more smoothly. I continued to play swim and dive for the school and had a great time doing it. I was the only Green Hope athlete, and one of a handful in the state of NC, to be a part of both my swim and dive teams. The dive team was special to me because I made it to state championship meet all 4 years of high school, even though I goofed off in practice all the time. The swim team was definitely the best group of people I met throughout my high school years. I love the swimmers because we see each other in as little clothes as possible at 5 in the morning, awesome, especially Tripp. The summer after my sophomore year I began working at my pool as a lifeguard and as a swim instructor. I really enjoy myself when I am around water and in the sun. Lifeguarding is by far the best job a kid like me could have. My junior year is when everything began to turn around. I began to find a great group of friends to hang out with. Though my junior year was mostly school, school, swim, dive, and school some more, I managed to find some time to enjoy myself and to hang out with friends. The summer of my junior year I continued to lifeguard and swim and had a blast doing it. That same summer my family and I went to New York. The experience of being on my own in a big city like that really opened my eyes to how excited I was be on my own at college. My entire senior year was a year of anticipation for college. Even though my high school years were filled with 9 AP classes and a lot of studying and work, my senior year was much more fun and enjoyable. School work almost took a backseat to my friends, my hobbies, and anything else fun I wanted to do. My senior year was filled with beach trips, including the Trailer Kingdom, experiences, and friends. Mid January of senior I found out I was accepted to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, I was officially a Tar Heel, and I was proud of it. With my acceptance into college, my goal was achieved and my drive to continue to do well in school quickly diminished. I continued to hang out with friends and enjoy my last few months at home. Senior prom was so much fun with all my friends and we had a great time. I am beyond excited to leave high school and move on to bigger and better things in my life at UNC. Though I will miss my friends, I plan to keep in touch with some of them and I will definitely make so many new friends in the years to come. C’ya Green Hope. It was real.

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