Growing up is an inevitable thing that everyone must go through. “Growing up” is different for everybody, and it can begin at a really young age for some or a much older age for others. It may involve getting your first job, acquiring your licence, getting letters from colleges, having to take the ACT with scholarships in mind, or finally being able to gaze into the future and look into what you may want to do for the rest of your life. 

For many teenagers, growing up can be tricky and stressful with the many steps that go into it. I interviewed a few students and asked them what event made their mindset change to make them believe that they’ve grown up or made them realize they weren’t a kid anymore. 

Senior, Kysen Harris, said, “When I moved to Lincoln and had to pay rent by myself. It was a tough time but when all said and done I’ve really matured from that time in my life and it’s been better for me. I realized I wasn’t a kid anymore when I was told I couldn’t play football anymore because that was really the only thing that made me feel like a kid again.”

Another senior, Collin Schrawyer, also responded and said, “I felt like I was grown up when I had to start applying to colleges and housing, and knowing I’ll have to live alone and not with my parents and family anymore.”

Lastly, teacher, Carlos Palomo, said, “Getting my feet wet, with my first job and having to pay my own car insurance. It started getting real when all the real bills came and I had to start paying rent.”

Listening to all these responses by mature people made me realize that a lot of us, including myself, “think” we’ve grown up. In reality, a lot of us don’t have to keep up with adult responsibilities. We don’t have to quit something that we love because we have to pay bills, or have the responsibility of having to raise a child while in high school, all while still trying to figure out where you fit in life. Growing up is inevitable and will happen to everyone at some point, so the best thing for us to do is just embrace where we are now and have hope of where we will be in the future.