Discus Awards

It started the summer I tired of writing dog stories. I had decided that being published in a children’s fiction magazine was not going to be the extent of my writing career. So I snapped up the chance to write a few columns for the local newspaper—never mind that I was thirteen—and discovered I had much more to say than I thought.

Looking back on my fast-ending high school years, I am shocked at what I became: Campaigner. Teacher’s aide. Writer. Tutor. Pianist. PR manager. Speaker. Director. It’s all the more shocking because of what I am—a shy-ish homeschooler who never stepped foot in a classroom and preferred changing the world from a distance.

Being homeschooled since forever, I took it hard when I hit the teen years and learned that every other kid my age was in band, drama and French club. Everything the local homeschool group tried seemed to collapse a few weeks later. I resigned myself to a life of library haunting.

But then the strangest thing happened—my passionate side refused to go along with that. Fueled by the few strangers who hunted down my phone number and thanked me for writing those newspaper columns, I decided to serve instead of be served, to go hunting for opportunity instead of waiting for it. It wouldn’t come pre-packaged in clubs or classes—that I knew.

I just never expected my story to end like it did.

Ironically, I had it going with the homeschool thing. I could double up on school to spend a day volunteering or a week campaigning. My interests and opportunities were sporadic, leaving my days free to explore new areas I never would have otherwise.

With so much open time and energy, the world was pretty much my playing field. The only question was whether I would engage. I mentioned I was shy—and I am, as in too-petrified-to-answer-the-phone shy. Deep inside, though, I believed in something bigger than my shyness, something that spilled out from my comfort zone.

I pushed myself. Hard. I swallowed embarrassment to phone bank for the Republican ticket. I got up enough courage (and mother assistance) to contact volunteer organizations. I wrote about abortion, the Constitution and homeschooling and ended up giving speeches all over my small town. People picked up on my drive-hard determination and assigned me all kinds of roles, from playwright to Vacation Bible School coordinator to camp counselor. I really believed not so much that I could do something but that something was worth doing—and I did it.

I think that’s when opportunity starts knocking: when there’s nothing but you, your idea and the chance it could happen.

I sometimes wonder what my life would have looked like had I grown up—well, more “normal.” But I don’t regret. I feel fulfilled. I explored everything in which I was (and occasionally wasn’t) interested in real world, out-of-the-box ways. I’ve reaped what passion and self-made opportunity bring.

More importantly, I know how to do it again.

Filed under: Bailey Bergmann • All-Around High School Students • Meet the Discus Winner