Please Welcome Special Guest Autumn Carberry

Don’t Regret Missed Opportunities

By Autumn Carberry

As you grow older, mature, and become that productive individual you always hoped you would be, there is one thing that can thwart eternal happiness, regret. 

Regret can weigh in the back of your mind, influence your future, and shade your present. While you are here at CVHS it’s imperative to take every opportunity that comes your way and not hold back.  Too often we are held back by our fear of failure, the unknown, or complacency. Make these years the most memorable possible, move beyond your sphere of influence. Build those relationships, try out for that play, join that club, for high school is only once in a lifetime.

Behind each line on my college application is a memory, a friendship, a moment in time that cannot be recaptured.  

I was never one to sit on the sidelines. My childhood was filled with Girl Scout camping trips, dance classes, and new adventures. This pattern followed me into high school. In eighth grade I tried out for cheerleading at the high school and made the freshmen squad. Over the summer I made friends through our practices and learned the school landscape. That fall I worked on the school newspaper and rubbed elbows with the upperclassmen. I consistently looked for opportunities to evolve, learn, and make friends (if there were cute boys involved that didn’t hurt). 

Over the next four years I tried out for a role in Bye Bye Birdie and tap danced my way across the stage, I ran for ASB and decorated the ballroom for prom, I was NHS president, and became the cheer captain facilitating school sprit on my campus. However, this is not just a laundry list of accomplishments. Behind each line on my college application is a memory, a friendship, a moment in time that cannot be recaptured.  They made my high school experience full, exciting, and unforgettable. Had I not tried something new and moved beyond my comfort zone I may not have had such a positive experience.

Who cares who is looking; you won’t see them in a few years anyway. 

This time is fleeting. As unending as it seems now, it is but a blink in your lifetime. Take the time to make high school unforgettable. I can tell you right now, there is more to high school than who you hung out with or who you dated. What you will remember is the experiences you build for yourself. Let go your preoccupation of embarrassment. Who cares who is looking; you won’t see them in a few years anyway. You could be missing out on something irreplaceable. Don’t regret missed opportunities. Those taken opportunities are what shape you into the adult you become.

Autumn Carberry is a language arts instructor at Coachella Valley High School. Still never one to sit on the sidelines, Mrs. Carberry also teaches Advanced Placement English Language and Composition, is the Freshmen Class Advisor, acts as a Site Representative for her teacher’s association, and along with many, many other responsibilities, is a regular contributor to this blog.