In 2006, Mr. Lee began the labyrinth we know as high school. Though it is easy to forget, the teachers we see almost every day went through the same 4-year process we are currently experiencing. However, high school during the mid-to-late 2000s was notably different from Highland Park High School today. Sayreville War Memorial, the high school Mr. Lee attended, was no exception.
Mr. Lee’s high school experience had many components. He participated in various sports including bowling, track, and skiing. He was also a part of the Japanese club, whose members explored many aspects of Japanese culture including the Cherry Blossom Festival and the anime genre, which was not popular at the time as it is now. Moreover, Mr. Lee’s teenage years were set to a diverse soundtrack of musical artists ranging from Bon Iver to Saosin.
Additionally, high school was being introduced to widespread technology in the 2000s, causing an entire shift in day-to-day life. Unfortunately, that shift led to technological polarization, or in Lee’s words, “phone elitism.” Interestingly, with the rise of unlimited data, so did in-class texting. T9, or predictive text, was used as a tool to more easily text during class and not get caught. Some things never change.
No matter when you attended high school, they are formative years, but you still have an opportunity to reinvent yourself. Your time in high school will not be remembered by grades, popularity, likes, or favorites, but by relationships. Mr. Lee’s advice is to “really dig deep into who you are from a different perspective.”