Bentonville Challenges

One problem that I have faced personally was that I was a bit of an introvert. It was a significant problem for me considering I was not entirely confident in social situations. This all began to change through events that transpired during my freshman year. My family moved to Bentonville, Arkansas, where I attended Bentonville High School for the majority of ninth grade. In an instant, I had transferred from a school with a class size of 250 students to a school that was six times larger, consisting of 1500 freshmen. This was a tremendous transition for me. I was required to leave my friends and classmates that I had known for the previous seven years in Palmyra, Pennsylvania. Soon I realized that I needed to overcome my introversion

Through these two sports, I met many athletes that shared common interests with me. I had played basketball and lacrosse for several years and felt comfortable with my skills. Having assurance in my athletic ability allowed me to relax and be myself. I was slowly adapting to a new team and making friends more quickly. Another step I took to improve my social confidence was by attending study sessions with fellow classmates where I met additional people. As I became acquainted with my fellow classmates, I felt more secure with myself. I even took the lead on group projects which turned out to be a rewarding experience. I learned that I needed to come out of my shell in order to make Bentonville my new home. Ultimately, I gained even more confidence in myself and ended up having a successful year, both academically and socially. This has been a significant change for me that helped me to improve my social skills at school and at work. For example, while giving a presentation in front of others, I realized that the social skills I acquired during my freshman year allow me to deliver a clear message without being as nervous. I am also more confident at work, whether assisting customers or working with fellow employees. In conclusion, moving to a large school my freshman year motivated me to overcome my introversion and helped me to be more outgoing, which turned out to be more worthwhile than I could have