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There are many days I hear my alarm[br]waking me up for school,

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and I dread getting out of bed.

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I have more than I need.

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I'm fed every day, I live[br]in a wonderful house in a beautiful city,

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and I attend a good school,[br]yet I still don't want to go.

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It is so easy to find[br]the negatives in school.

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Things like stress[br]and lack of interest in my classes

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are just some of the negatives[br]that overpower the good.

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Yet, at the perspective of another,

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their opinion[br]would be completely different.

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Imagine a 14-year-old girl[br]living in an African country:

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her name is Adisa,

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and she is part of a family of six[br]living in a one-room house.

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She would give anything[br]to have the opportunity to learn,

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but her family can't afford it.

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To her, school would not be[br]the terrible monster that I see.

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She would find the positives.

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She would see school

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as a way to make new friends[br]and learn about the world around her.

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Thinking about Adisa and others[br]in her situation made me feel very guilty.

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Here I am, complaining about my life[br]when I have everything I need and more.

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What she would only dream of[br]living a life like mine?

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I've been told to be successful in life[br]I have to succeed in school.

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I've been told to get into a good college[br]I have to make good grades

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and participate in[br]as many school activities as possible.

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The way I see it, putting[br]that much pressure on yourself

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to make good grades[br]and participate in every school activity

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is not the best high school experience.

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For me, this just adds[br]to the pressure and anxiety

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making it more difficult to learn.

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I struggle with stress

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and the pressure of having[br]the best grades is always present.

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I was thinking about[br]what the number 4.0 actually means to me,

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and I stumbled to answer.

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What does it mean?

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It has to mean something if I'm putting[br]myself through so much to get it.

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I am one who strives to do my best,

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and the pressure and anxiety[br]is making me question why.

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Why am I putting[br]so much pressure on myself

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that I struggle to go to school?

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Stress about the workload pressure[br]on making good grades? It's a lot.

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Even for me who has never found school[br]to be very difficult.

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I don't find myself struggling very often,

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but that doesn't make it any easier;[br]if anything, it makes it more difficult.

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Many don't see how that could be the case.

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I've had several conversations

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where someone will say[br]something along the lines

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of, "if you are so good at school,[br]why don't you like it?"

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This question and the many[br]different variations I've heard

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continue to confuse me.

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How does working hard[br]to perform well at school

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take away the stress or dislike?

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I know from personal experience:[br]it just adds to the stress and dislike.

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I put myself through this[br]so I'll have more opportunities

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to live a successful life,[br]and I'm trying to understand why.

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When I hear my alarm waking me up[br]for school, I get ready for an entire day.

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I'm walking into day[br]for those seven hours of learning.

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Yikes.

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Seven hours of boredom,[br]frustration, and judgment.

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I've many classes

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that take so much energy[br]to keep from falling sleep.

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People that feel[br]that, because it's a group project,

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they don't have to do any of the work.

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Presentations that make me[br]shake with nervousness.

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Peers that feel the need to make others[br]feel bad about themselves.

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Add all this to the stress,

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and you're looking[br]at the definition of misery.

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I look at school[br]and see a bubble of negativity,

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yet, at the perspective of another,

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their opinion[br]will be completely different.

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Adisa would go to school[br]and be over the moon excited.

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She would want to experience[br]all the different classes and subjects.

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She wouldn't be so focused on the grades,

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because she'll be so much more interested[br]in the actual learning.

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She would try her best to succeed

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and only see the stress[br]as a small side effect of school.

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I try to have[br]this perspective about school,

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especially because I'm[br]so incredible lucky to have all that I do.

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But it is a constant struggle.

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I tell myself to think about school[br]in the perspective of Adisa,

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who'd give anything to take my place.

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I find the positives[br]because that's what she would do.

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She would work with the situation

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even if she doesn't like[br]everything about it.

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And I feel this should be easier to do[br]than it actually is, but it's not.

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I challenge you to think about your life

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from the perspective of someone[br]who'd give anything to take your place.

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Find the positives[br]and encourage others to do the same.

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Know that it's only[br]a portion of your life,

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and it's not the worst thing[br]you could be doing.

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I know it can be hard; trust me,[br]I struggle with it everyday.

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Just remember:

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don't take anything for granted[br]and embrace the stuff you don't like

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because there's someone out there[br]who'd give anything to take your place.

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(Applause)