CCHS students come from varying walks of life, backgrounds, and have unique experiences.

To fully appreciate others, it is crucial for students to be understanding and compassionate towards each other. The Coffee Press anonymously interviewed several students to gain insight on their unique high-school experiences.

What it’s like to be dyslexic:

               “I won’t let it stop me from achieving what I want.”

“Growing up I didn’t expect it to be what it is. People made jokes like ‘oh you’re just going to mess up your b’s and d’s,’ and it took me awhile to realize that this is a genuine learning disorder. I am held to a very high standard. I didn’t have the best relationship with my father figure because he just legitimately thought I was stupid. I remember when the other kids in kindergarten were reading third grade level books and thought it was so simple.  I was still having trouble even comprehending words or learning the way the teacher taught us. My teacher helped me read more and taught me in a way that I could understand. I am a visual hands-on learner.  I kinda started to come to terms with the fact that I had a learning disability, so I must be stupid. I accepted it until high-school, and then I enrolled in all honors classes. I wanted to push myself and hold myself to a higher standard despite any disadvantages I had. I just started to redevelop how to learn so it was best for me. I grew and accepted it and even though I had no one supporting me, I learned how to support myself. I continue to push myself beyond my breaking points. I don’t understand things as easily as a lot of students. I have to go home and teach myself how to do my homework. I wish people understood how hard I work to achieve what comes easy to them. ”

What it’s like to be an athlete:

           “ It’s a totally different lifestyle”

“Being an athlete has its ups and downs. I miss out on a lot of things like getting to go with my friends after school. I think the pros outweigh the cons though. Certain moments, like since I’m a runner, moments like getting a new personal record makes everything I miss worth it. I wish people understood and respected running more as an actual sport. I push my body to its absolute physical limit. It kinda changes everything. I’m always thinking about how to be better.”

What it’s like to be shy:

              “I’m legitimately trying to communicate.”

“Being shy is nerve racking and makes me feel really awkward. I can push myself, but I can never push myself enough. Because people who are not shy can do that easily and when they push themselves, they are being outgoing. I don’t want people to think I’m stuck up when I don’t talk to them. It’s just that I never know what to say. When I got my job, being shy stopped me from talking to guests sometimes, it was something I had to get used to. Being shy is very hard and even though I can overcome that by practicing, it is still hard.”

What it’s like to be gay:

           “I’m not just the stereotype.”

“Being gay, a lot of people assume that they know me more than I know yourself. I want to be honest and let people know, but if I do I could lose friends, respect, credibility, or anything really. So I have to deceive. I get to be honest with those I trust. I’m sure other people know or can tell, but as long as it is just a thought, I can always deny it. As a gay person you can look at the history of how people like this have been treated and it is scary. I know things have changed but I always feel like I have to be careful. I have to be careful how I present yourself and how you speak, how I dress. I never get to be fully relaxed and comfortable. I wish people would understand that I really don’t have a choice. Logically, it doesn’t make sense that I would want to be treated this way, that I would want to be hated. I guess people just never think about it logically like that. I wish they understood that I am a whole person. I wish people would acknowledge me more for what I achieve. All they focus on is how I am gay though, it is always a defining factor.”  

What it’s like to be vegetarian:

                “Veggies are great.”

“I have been a vegetarian for four years. It is hard to get food at school sometimes, even pizza has pepperoni. It is weird sometimes to tell people because they get this stereotype in their heads or assume that I am super picky or healthy and that is not true. I don’t care if people eat meat around me, it is none of my business what everyone else eats. You have to be careful when someone gives you food because you never know what could be in it. When I go to people’s houses I feel bad when I tell them I  am a vegetarian because they will try to accomodate me or fix me something else to eat, and it is really okay.”

What it’s like to be a feminist:

                   “The moment they realize you think differently, you get judged.”

“It feels like I’m being smothered sometimes because every time I have an opinion you are just immediately shot down. The second I raise an opinion that is different I just get mocked and stared at by anyone who is afraid of what they don’t think is normal. We were talking about pay gaps in class and someone said women are genetically weak. I tried to share my opinion and it just feels like all the boys mobbed up on me and I couldn’t talk. I know other women feel that way sometimes. I see girls in class that want to join in, but they are too scared. That really bothers me. I wish people knew it is not a man hating thing. The entire point is that women should  be treated equally and held to the same standard as men.”

The Coffee Press would like to thank these students for sharing their experiences and invite readers to check this article again for updated and additional accounts.