Having healthy friendships is one of the most important steps to having a good high school experience. Friends help you through tough times, celebrate your achievements, and make high school more enjoyable; however, this may not be the case for everyone.
Amy Dillon, VHHS’s prevention and wellness coordinator, expressed her experiences in seeing students being affected by their friendships
“Most of what we hear from our students is friendship pressure,” said Dillon.
As Dillon explains, it is clear that sometimes teenagers may face challenges in friendships due to peer pressure.
The relationships you form in high school have a significant impact on your identity and destiny.
While terrible connections have a negative impact on your well-being and life decisions, good friendships provide a solid basis for personal growth. Karen Clarke, special services social worker, thinks that friendship are important decisions high schoolers will make in their lives.
“It should be something you think about because it is who adults see you with and it shows others about yourself,” Clarke said.
At VHHS, staff members often support students, as also Clarke stated that she deals with problems in friendships on the daily.
Hyeongjun Noh (11) agrees with Clarke about having morals and values when picking friends.
“They have to be honest and match the same energy, and to an extent, be able to make jokes,’’ Noh said.
High school is also a time when friendships are developed and put to the test; these bonds have a big impact on who you are today and who you will be tomorrow.
Once you pick your relationships, there are strategies you can use to help maintain them healthily.
Melissa Holloway, upper commons area monitor, shared some values that should be held in order to navigate friendships.
“I always feel that communication is the key. Whenever there’s a problem, you have to be honest and talk about things,” Holloway said.