As students get in the groove of second semester, some find that motivation is hard to find. For seniors, this is the last stretch of their high school career; for juniors it is the final days of the “hardest year of high school.” Sophomores and freshmen still have a while to go.
![“I do cross country; I get a shirt [for running five hundred miles over the summer] and running those miles improves your endurance. I didn't think of the five hundred miles as, ‘I have to run five hundred miles.’ I [have the mindset that], six days a week, I have to run. [I] started [running] about four to five miles a day and was able to build up over the course of the summer. It's just that I had my goal; I wanted to be on varsity. I wanted to get the red legs this season, so I had my goal in mind. Red legs are a new set of warmups made up of a nicer jacket, thin hoodie, and red sweatpants, given to anyone who runs sub-18:15 in the 5k [race]. They have been a goal since I joined [the sport in] sophomore year. They are often a mark of being on varsity as well and can make you feel like you made it. I guess the same thing is true for motivating myself for school; I have my goal of keeping up my grades. Stay involved with something because it's good to have multiple [hobbies] going on. Make sure to decide what you want your focus to be. You can be involved in multiple things, but, if you want to focus on sports and school, make sure to keep it balanced. Enjoy your high school years. Have some passion in what you do.” - Ryan Smith, 12](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/488ACA7C-8DD7-4712-A89E-2DEAE7DACC49-1200x800.jpeg)
![“My biggest joys are my family and friends, especially my brother, Miles. [Miles] brings me joy because he is my little brother, and he is a light in my life. [He] is my motivation for a lot of things. I love being around my friends; they make me happy. After school, we hang out or get something to eat and we sit and talk. That's my favorite thing to do, talk to my friends and be around them. We all support one another with everything that we're interested in. Being around my friends brings up my mood whenever I'm sad. The people around me are my passion in life.” - Mya Rangel, 11](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/myarangel-900x600.jpg)
