“I feel like it’s more like I’m stressed from the pressure I put on myself to achieve the potential everyone says I have. I mean that wouldn’t be a problem if I had realized this like 4 years ago. Cause now I feel like I’m too late to start and even though my mom tells me the opposite, but it’s hard to stand out academically nowadays and even sports-wise. It’s crazy how many people are testing the limit of their physical and mental health and then they barely get into a regular college, like that’s just crazy to me. And this is going to sound a little bit conceited but I’ve always been naturally good at things I try. So like I’ve always been pretty good at school and sports without putting work in but it’s made me so lazy now and now that I realize I have to put work in, in order to be alongside the other people who’ve been doing this for a while, I feel like I’m behind. So yeah I definitely am stressed about college and living up to the dream that I had growing up especially now that it’s more apparent that I haven’t put in work but I know if I did put in the work I could be up there competing with those other people. It kind of makes me feel guilty.”

– Junior, Priscilla Romero