Be Your Own DNA
By Tracy, age 14, Oregon
It's nice to get a fresh start and grow up a little bit with the new school year. It can be your worst year ever - or your best. It's new, and you might feel like changing. Either you're changing to fit your new group of friends or to get into a new trend that society is declaring the 'new in,' or whatever. Whether you're changing for, others or you, it matters. Like I mentioned before, it's a fresh new start, but that does not mean that you should change. You can change for yourself, but changing for others and to fit in is wrong. Being unique is being you. It's being your own DNA and keeping it that way throughout life. Don't follow the crowd just 'because your best friend is doing it' or 'because your crush is.' If you want to stand out from the crowd and get a boyfriend then be true to yourself. You might do this and wear that, but your DNA is denying it.
Anyone can change themselves, either because of peer pressure or just to fit in, and that may look fine on the outside, but on the inside you know better. It might feel fine to go with the crowd, the road most traveled, but deep inside you, you know it's not you.
So, my tip for the new school year is don't be afraid to be weird or crazy. The weird or crazy person is the one all the others will remember the most at the end of the school year. Don't be a clone - be your own DNA.
