School Days
2015 was like a turning point for me. Not that I was born in 2015, no, but it marked a new beginning, as I got to study at a great school: SMA Regina Pacis Bogor. Many amazing friends, high-quality teachers, and complete school facilities. I chose the Science major, although many psychological tests indicated I would be more suited for the Social Studies track but what could I do?
I wasn’t exactly a popular student, but I was fairly active while still being introverted. Even before high school, I enjoyed tinkering with my own computer, mainly because of my love for playing video games. That’s why, in my first year, I joined the computer extracurricular club. After a few months, however, I found it less exciting, as I had already mastered many of the skills taught there. So, in my second year, I switched to the choir.
That decision turned out to be quite important, though I only realized it after participating for the first half of the year. At the time, the school was taking part in a national event called Pensi, organized by Trans TV, where students from all over Indonesia performed Broadway style theatrical shows broadcast nationwide. My seniors had already joined before me, and at the end of the year, there was another recruitment, this time seeking talents from the choir. As you might have guessed, I was given a role in that section.
It was quite funny because, first, I didn’t have a great singing voice, second, I had just joined and didn’t know many people there while some of my friends had been in it since elementary school, and third, I was not the type of student who would dance in front of a television camera. But why not? I took the opportunity and hoped for the best.
We trained relentlessly, day and night, even at dawn often finishing at 11 p.m. only to gather again at 2 a.m., despite the 45 minute commute from the training venue to my house. From this, I learned that extraordinary results require extraordinary effort. We performed a total of four times on television and placed fourth among dozens of competing schools. Not the highest achievement and not quite what we had hoped for, but we knew we had given our very best.