“I’m a junior. I’m a basketball player. I’m a volleyball player. But of all things, I am not a soccer player. However, this year I decided to join the soccer team – just for fun. Many of my friends were already on the team, and joining provided a reason to go to Chiang Mai and play a game with friends. Now our soccer team is, in fact, quite good. As a new member of the team, I doubted that I would experience much playing time in the games. But I accepted the challenge of becoming a member of the soccer team in hopes of finding enjoyment in the journey.

But there I stood on the field, eyeing the ball soon after the coach subbed me in during the second-half. And it was the last game of the season. The ball flew towards me, flying from my teammates hands from a throw-in, bouncing off my head at the peak of my jump, falling into the back of the net. I had scored! Running to my teammates for chest-bumps and slaps on the back, I felt like the hero of a world cup match. Really, I was simply enjoying the comradery of a high-school soccer team. This memory would last me a lifetime. From this experience of joining my high-school soccer team, I learned that there is no reason to not rise up, take the challenge, and try to make every moment a memorable one.” – Jadon, 11th grade