Each month, a student from one of our high schools will write a guest post for the Superintendent Blog. The students will be asked to reflect on one of the characteristics described in our Graduate Profile. This month, Carlsbad High School student Emily Hyde reflects on the characteristic of “Self-Directed Individual.”
Carlsbad Unified Graduate Profile: Self-Directed Individual
“Graduates accept responsibility for their learning. They recognize their strengths and work to their full potential.”
All my life, I have been most reliant on myself for my education and success in school. I have had trust in my own skills and work ethic so that I could reach my full potential. Sometimes, this can be difficult because it means taking responsibility for not only my accomplishments but also my failures; but that is what is necessary to prepare students to succeed after they leave high school.
To be a self-directed individual is to be someone who shows initiative for their goals, and takes responsibility for what they can or cannot do. In schools, these qualities are highly important because they often translate to a good work ethic and ultimately success. At Carlsbad High School, we are taught to take charge of our learning and accept any difficulties or challenges we face with confidence and determination. The teachers here have taught us that we have the most control over our education and only we have the power to truly transform ourselves into the people we hope to become.
Being a self- directed individual may become even more important later in life. Here in high school, we have teachers and administrators that guide us and give us the tools we need to succeed; however these role models may not always be present in our lives. It is important that we learn to motivate ourselves and recognize what needs to be done so that we can reach our full potential in the future. Once we are in college or in the workforce, these qualities become even more essential and can often determine whether someone succeeds or fails under trying circumstances.
Additionally, as a junior in high school, I have realized that it is absolutely imperative to self-direct yourself throughout all the struggles this year provides. It can be difficult to take complete responsibility over your learning, because there will always be times where you cannot reach your goals. Whether you do poorly on a test, or miss a homework assignment, it is still important to recognize how these struggles can play a part in our learning and ultimately lead us to become more self directed individuals.
These qualities that come with being self directed play a role in other aspects of students lives’ as well. Through sports or other extracurriculars, students can utilize the skills they learn in school and further explore their own capabilities, allowing them to grow and develop as people. Teaching students to become more self-directed encourages them to take responsibility for their future and push themselves to reach their fullest potential in every aspect of life.
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Emily Hyde is a junior at Carlsbad High and will soon be an editor in chief of the Lancer Link. In her free time, she dances at Carlsbad Dance Centre and listens to music.
