Taylor Chatigny is currently a senior at Saint John Neumann High School. She transferred from Seacrest her sophomore year and plays middle for St. John Neumann Varsity Volleyball. She also plays for the USA South team. Taylor shares some words of wisdom on how to navigate your high school years.
What have you learned from freshman year to now?
Chatigny responds “It is so important to use your time wisely. Don’t waste your time on things that are not important. You see other people doing things you want to do, but don’t be like ‘oh I want to go with them even if you think it’s bad.’ Picture yourself in 10 years, or at graduation, because the choices you make freshman year set the tone for the rest of highschool. So, it’s super important to prioritize your time and really push yourself to be doing the right things at the right time, rather than being pulled into the pure pressure and being influenced by things that won’t help you in the long run.”
How did this school challenge you?
It challenged her faith in a way, coming from Seacrest. When Chatigny was at the other school her faith and relationship with God wasn’t as strong. She said “It’s hard to build a relationship with someone you don’t know,” and this school really helped her grow a stronger relationship with God . It has shown her that there are different ways you can discover God and it doesn’t just have to be going to Church and praying to him hoping he will give you an answer. It’s also about finding him through scripture, nature, and on your own.
What is a piece of advice you would give your underclassman?
Chatigny referred to the pure pressure again, and being confident in your ability to do certain things: “Don’t be scared or intimidated to voice your own opinion or step out of your comfort zone. Use your time wisely and just be yourself at the end of the day.”
If you could have done anything differently during the years what would you have changed?
During her sophomore year she didn’t take stuff seriously or study a lot. She said “if you have a goal for yourself then you need to work for it, and you can’t expect an outcome if you don’t work for it.” A lot of people expect to get certain things from other people automatically, but if you have a big goal it really takes steps to achieve it. She says knowing where you want to be and having a purpose from the four years you are in highschool will really help you.
