By Ginny R-G, Year 13
Where does one belong? How does one belong? Where do I belong? Growing up as a relatively shy child, those were all questions that I often asked myself. I was never sure what I was supposed to do, how I was supposed to behave, or even how I was supposed to dress. As I got older, I sought to find the answers to these questions that had gripped my mind for so long, the questions which have shaped my decisions, shaped my life… but when I looked for the answers, they never came. However, as I write this, I realise they snuck up while I wasn’t paying attention.
I am shaped today by my actions and ambitions, my curiosity, and everything that I have pursued throughout the years. When I joined Sidcot in Year 12, I will admit that I felt slightly lost within the school, and in a way, I had lost myself. I was suddenly in a new environment, and it seemed like everybody had found their own ways to express themselves, except me.
So, I did as much as I could. I let my curiosity run wild. Of course, I joined clubs that I had been doing my whole life, such as concert group and the school choirs, but also new clubs like Dungeons and Dragons, in which I was able to express myself in an entirely new way, as it was unlike any school club I had been in before. I performed in concerts, I performed in assemblies, and I performed in a play, expressing myself on stage. Through all these experiences, even in a total change of scenery, I found myself again just by being curious. Engaging in all these clubs and school activities has allowed me to learn more about myself but has also introduced me to some amazing people that I’ve been able to click with and, most importantly, have been able to be myself around.
So, without realising it, I found the answers to those questions from all those years ago, and they no longer plague me at night or frighten me when I think about them. And I’ll never again feel shame about conveying my curiosity because it’s natural human nature; our interests are what set us apart from each other and make us unique. I refuse to feel afraid of asking ‘why?’ over topics that interest me. Because that’s who I am and what makes me, me. I belong.
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