It’s been six years since I’ve stepped foot in Niles West, but the memories and feelings that I left with are still vivid.  You may think that when I graduated in 2004, such feelings included sadness due to friends going separate ways, or heartache stemming from the departure of the familiar and comforting environment in which I had grown up.  To the contrary, I was feeling relief and excitement—relief that high school was finally over, and excitement for the adventures to come in college and beyond.

You see, I did not enjoy being in high school.  I loved learning and the high-quality education that District 219 provided, but I was put off by my peers for various reasons.  And as I’m sure you all know, the social scene in high school plays quite a large role.  Whether it was from the formation of cliques, my handful of interactions with apathetic students, or the world view that my peers did not seemingly share with me, I chose to isolate myself from my fellow students.  Instead of going to the cafeteria during lunch period, I would either bury my head in homework or visit with a teacher—only interacting with my classmates when necessary.  I basically was counting down the days until graduation.

Was I wrong in my desire to flee the high school scene so quickly (I actually graduated a semester early.)?  Maybe.  Maybe not.  Was I wrong in my decision to shut myself off from the entire student body?  Yes.  By doing so, I presumed to know who each student was and that I had nothing to gain from interacting with any of them.  By doing so, I prevented the opening of windows of opportunity.

Six years later, after reconnecting with former classmates, I can tell you that I was, in fact, wrong.  There were many students who shared my sentiments; I simply did not give them a chance.  I took the shortcut and applied a blanket judgment to the almost 600 students in my graduating class.

So I say to those reading:  Keep an open mind!  The world of education promotes the idea of open-mindedness—of looking at all possible options before coming to a decision.  This is what I ask you to hold dear.  Reserve your judgments until all information has been reviewed.  It is the person who goes against this practice who will miss out on life’s opportunities.

Another ramification resulting from my high school social isolationism was my lack of involvement outside of the classroom.  One of the great things about Niles West is the plethora of extracurricular activities that are available to students:  clubs, bands, student government, honor societies.  I took part in none.

Before I started college I had time to reflect on my high school experience, and I did not like what I had made of my time.  I wished that I had made better use of it.  Instead of soaking in regret, though, I chose to look forward to the future and what changes I could make to have a different experience in college.  The choices I would make in college would be in direct contrast to those I made in high school.  Furthermore, the person I became in college was completely different than who I was at West.

This is where my next piece of advice comes into play:  When you graduate, push the “reset” button.  After graduation, many of you will be going off to college or a job—interacting with new people in new environments.  This is your chance to start anew.  Take some time to reflect on the person who you are.  Recognize the parts of yourself that you like and those that you do not.

The good news is that the unfavorable traits are not permanent.  While new people and new situations can be scary, they also provide a great opportunity.  These unfamiliar parties do not know you; they have no basis on how to perceive you.  It is completely up to you as to how you will present yourself.  Therefore, I say, again, push the “reset” button.  Take advantage of these transitional periods to build a better you.  They become more and more rare the older we grow and establish ourselves.  So make them count!

I preach these ideas to you because I have practiced them—successfully.  By having an open mind and pushing my own “reset” button, I entered my freshman year at Northland College with a new outlook and attitude on life and haven’t looked back since.  I became a student senator, a tutor, and advisor for incoming students.  In my junior and senior years I was elected Vice President of the Northland College Student Association, a separate entity from the college and independent non-profit organization.  After I graduated college, I committed to a year of national service in the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps as a Team Leader, traveling the country doing various long-term service projects.  Today, I find myself in Washington, DC, as a graduate student at George Washington University and an intern at the United States Senate.

I list my accomplishments not to serve my ego, but to show a distinction.  The Sam Berkman who kept to himself in the hallways of Niles West over six years ago could not have accomplished what I have since then.  I firmly believe it is due to my willingness to be open-minded and to push my own reset button that I am where I am today.  My changed mindset not only allowed for opportunities to be presented to me, but it empowered me to actually seize them.

This is what I hope for all of you—that you will recognize that there is a world of endless possibilities beyond the walls of the high school classroom, beyond the city limits of Skokie, Morton Grove, Niles, and Lincolnwood.  Don’t succumb to these constraints.  Take a glance over those walls.  And if you like what you see, be daring enough to push the button.

Sam’s Bio

• Favorite Part of Niles West: the faculty