SAN JOSE, CALIF — Jonathan Nguyen-Au is a senior at Silver Creek High School who has had many fun and challenging experiences throughout his time in high school.

Nguyen-Au is someone who has enjoyed his high school experience with some favorable memories, as well as having had his equal share of struggles. His favorite memory was a certain time when he and his friends went to Raging Waters, before junior year when it wasn’t closed, and it was a very memorable experience.

Many students go through hardships and challenges especially in school. These struggles can range from thought process mentally to social and much more. For Nguyen-Au, his struggle was “to find himself in the world, and what I wanted to do,” which is a problem a lot of people go through during this time. Another struggle he overcame was his classes that he didn’t like, which he asked for help which many don’t seem to do. He made connections with people and teachers that pushed him through passing the class.

A lot of students always have regrets when leaving, especially of what they could’ve done better. Nguyen-Au’s greatest regret was not going out as much and participating in school events. He said, “I didn’t regret my time at school but it would’ve been more enjoyable if I went out of my comfort zone more often,” which many people fall into without experiencing new things.

These challenges are not just there to overcome, but to learn from. Nguyen-Au learned more about himself through mistakes and to find another path if the one you’re on is blocked, which leads to new experiences. Doing things a certain way won’t get you anywhere, but trying new things and staying creative with your mindset will get you places.