From navigating new schools to discovering confidence in moments of chaos, her journey proves that even the scariest beginnings hold the power to shape who we become.In this special Teen Resilience Spotlight, Charlotte shares the honest reality of leaving the comfort of primary school and stepping into the unknown of high school. She details the overwhelm of walking into a new environment, feeling lost among unfamiliar halls, and balancing the workload that seemed insurmountable at first. Yet, through persistence, she found her rhythm—learning shortcuts, making new friends, and realizing her capabilities extended far beyond her expectations. Her story offers a blueprint for others facing similar crossroads, emphasizing that resilience isn't about perfection, but persistence in the face of uncertainty.You'll discover actionable insights on managing anxiety during big changes — like how breaking tasks into smaller steps and leaning on new support systems can make all the difference. Charlotte shares the importance of asking for help, embracing failure, and trusting in your ability to adapt. Themes of belonging, the power of friendship, and the courage to voice doubts are woven into her narrative, providing a relatable map for young people stepping into new chapters.Why does this matter? Because the difference between feeling overwhelmed and thriving lies in resilience — a skill that grows with each challenge faced. If you’re a young person navigating a transition or an adult supporting someone through one, Charlotte’s experience offers both hope and practical wisdom. It’s a reminder that the moments of confusion and loneliness are just part of the journey to discovering your strength.Perfect for teens, parents, mentors, or anyone interested in understanding how resilience begins in small, quiet moments. This episode will inspire you to see uncertainty as a stepping stone, not a barrier, and to find your courage when everything feels unfamiliar. Tune in and learn how embracing the chaos today builds the confidence you’ll carry tomorrow.
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SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
When you feel like life has dealt you a hand of
unfair cards.
Instead of voting, you doubledown.
You stuck in the game.
You face battles.
You felt broken.
But hey, do us a favor.
Put your hand on your heart.
You feel that.
You're still here.
Welcome to the Resilience FilesUnlocked, where survival meets
(00:25):
transformation.
Welcome back to the ResilienceFiles Unlocked, Teen Resilience
Spotlight.
This is a space where we makeroom for young voices because
resilience doesn't always startin adulthood.
It starts in hallways, it startsin awkward transitions, it
starts in quiet moments whenyoung people are figuring out
(00:47):
who they're becoming.
Today we are joined byCharlotte.
Charlotte, who shares an amazingstory about transitioning from
primary school to high school,what a lot of young people are
going to experience.
Isn't that right, young peoplethat may be listening?
This shift may seem ordinary tomost, but for many teens, it's
one of the first real tests ofidentity, independence, and
(01:09):
confidence.
Charlotte, thank you so much forbeing here.
Before we dive in, we're goingto begin with you sharing your
story.
SPEAKER_01 (01:17):
So primary school felt like its own universe,
small, warm, and predictable inthe best way.
I could walk through the gateswith my eyes half closed, and I
still knew exactly where I wasgoing.
The hallways were narrow butfamiliar.
The classrooms always smeltfaint of glue sticks and old
(01:38):
carpet, and the playground hadthe one tree everyone sat under,
even though no one said it wasthe tree.
It just was.
I knew every teacher by name andthey knew mine.
I knew which doors creased,which steps were uneven, and
which parts of the oval stayedmuddy for days after it rained.
(02:00):
My friends lived close by, sogetting to school was never a
big deal.
A short walk, a quick chat, thesame faces waiting at the gate.
It felt safe because it was theworld I'd grown up in, but
nothing surprised me there.
High school was nothing likethat.
Suddenly, instead of strollingdown the street, I was waking up
(02:22):
earlier than I ever wanted to,dragging myself out the door and
travelling a long way just toget to school.
The train ride felt endless atfirst, long stretches of road,
unfamiliar stops, and the quietmoment where I'd stare out the
window and think, this is reallymy life now.
(02:42):
Every morning I felt like I wasleaving my old world behind,
watching it shrink the distanceas the train carried me
somewhere completely new.
None of my pri my close primaryfriends came with me.
They stayed together, going toschools nearby, still walking
the same streets and eatinglunch in the same groups.
(03:05):
Meanwhile, I was stepping into aplace where no one knew me,
where I had to start fromscratch.
The distance, not just physical,but emotional, made everything
feel heavier.
It was like trying to hold on tosomething that kept slipping
through my fingers.
Walking into high school for thefirst time felt like stepping
(03:26):
into a different universe.
The buildings towered over me,the hallways echoed with
hundreds of voices, and thecrowd moved like fast-flowing
traffic.
Everyone seemed to know wherethey were going except me.
In primary school, the classroomcame to you.
In high school, the bell rangand suddenly you were part of a
(03:48):
stampede, rushing across theschool with a map in your hand
and panic in your chest.
I got lost so many times Istarted pretending I was just
taking the long way wheneversomeone noticed.
One day I walked confidentlyinto a classroom, sat down,
unpacked my books, and onlyrealized something was wrong
(04:12):
when the teacher started talkingabout a different subject I
didn't take.
I remember that sinking feeling,the heat rising in my face, the
awkward shuffle as I packed upand slipped out the door.
And then there was the workload.
In primary school, homework wassimple, predictable, and usually
(04:32):
finished before dinner.
High school felt like beingthrown into deep water.
Everything, every teacher haddifferent expectations,
different rules, differentdeadlines.
I remember staring at my plannerone night, pages full of tasks
from five different subjects,thinking, how am I supposed to
(04:54):
keep up with all of this?
Some nights I felt overwhelmed,like everyone else had already
figured out the secret tosurviving high school, and I was
the only one still trying tocatch my breath.
But slowly.
So slowly I didn't even noticeat first.
Things began to shift.
(05:15):
I started learning the schoollayout, not because someone
explained it perfectly, butbecause I got lost enough times
that eventually the path stuckin my mind.
I found shortcuts, recognizedlandmarks, and stopped panicking
every time the bell rang.
Moving from class to classbecame less of a frantic race
(05:37):
and more of a routine.
Friendships were harder.
Some of my primary friendsdrifted away, not because anyone
did anything wrong, but becausewe were living different lives
now.
But in the middle of all theconfusion, I met new people.
People who were alsooverwhelmed, also unsure, also
(05:57):
trying to find their place.
Those small conversations, thoseshared laughs, those moments of
wait, you felt that too, helpedme realize I wasn't alone.
And the work I learned how toorganize myself, how to ask for
help, how to break things downso they didn't feel impossible.
(06:20):
I realized teachers weren'texpecting perfection.
They just wanted effort,honesty, and a willingness to
try.
Looking back, I can see thatresilience isn't about
pretending that the transitionwas easy, because it wasn't.
It was messy, confusing, andsometimes lonely.
But resilience is about showingup anyways.
(06:42):
It's about waking up early andmaking that long trip even
though you're tired.
It's about walking into aclassroom full of strangers and
giving yourself a chance tobelong.
It's about learning, adapting,and slowly building confidence
in a place that once felt toobig.
I didn't just move from primaryto high school.
(07:03):
I moved from comfort tochallenge, from familiar to
unknown, from being short ofeverything, to learning how to
navigate uncertainty.
And even though it took time, Ifound my place.
I found my strength, and Idiscovered that I'm capable of
more than I ever realized.
SPEAKER_00 (07:24):
Wow, that's so beautiful.
Thank you so much, Charlotte.
Wow.
Well, there's so much to breakdown.
Let's hop right into here.
So we're gonna do this like theABCs of life.
It's A to Z.
I have a few questions we'll runthrough, but um I first want to
know how do you feel afterreading the essay out loud?
SPEAKER_01 (07:46):
I I feel pretty relieved that I was able to
share this kind of story becauseit's I guess hard for people who
also have resilience that aresimilar to mine and they don't
want to share, which it's it'sokay for them, but yeah, I'm
really happy that people canhear about this story because at
(08:08):
least they know that they're notalone.
SPEAKER_00 (08:10):
Absolutely.
I love that.
I think that's so beautiful andso good.
Thank you for that.
So let's talk about the comfortzone.
So we're gonna go A for a rivalof change.
When you first found out youwere going to high school, what
was the first emotion you felt?
I probably felt really worriedbecause I was thinking, what is
(08:33):
high school like?
SPEAKER_01 (08:34):
Is it gonna be scarier than primary?
Am I gonna be able to makefriends easily?
Are the teachers really nice?
Yeah.
So yeah, I think that was mymain worry, and yeah, I guess a
bit of a struggle as well when Ifound out that I wasn't going to
like any primary school withwith my friends.
SPEAKER_00 (08:54):
Oh yeah.
Being afraid of the unknown issomething that happens in life
in more ways than one, but youfirst experien you you
experienced that feeling goingto high school, and that makes
sense.
Talking about your friends notbeing there, I want to go to B,
which is belonging.
In primary school, you describeda deep sense of safety.
(09:15):
What did belonging mean to youback then?
SPEAKER_01 (09:19):
I think it meant to me that you were always with
someone because they were thereto always support you when you
were going through tough times.
So I felt, yeah, in primaryschool, because I had a lot of
friends, everyone was reallysupportive of each other.
And yeah, we would always haveeach other's backs, which was
really nice.
SPEAKER_00 (09:38):
Yeah, and then in high school you had to navigate
those feelings and get used tothe constant change of different
teachers versus just being theone place at all times.
SPEAKER_01 (09:48):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (09:49):
Yeah, that makes sense.
Which leads us into C, which iscomfort.
Do you think like we sometimesdon't realize how comfortable we
are until we leave a place, likesuch as leaving primary school,
going into high school?
SPEAKER_01 (10:04):
Yeah, I think so, because the transition was
definitely really hard at first,but I was able to smoothly get
there, which I was really proudof myself and happy with the way
how the tr even though thetransition was pretty hard, I
still was able to find a goodgroup in high school.
SPEAKER_00 (10:23):
Yeah.
That's really good.
I want to get into that part aswell.
What do you feel like um, whichis leads us to the letter D for
because we're going with A, B,C, D, which is different.
What do you think felt like themost most different thing on the
very first day of school foryou?
SPEAKER_01 (10:40):
I would probably say most different.
SPEAKER_00 (10:44):
It could be, I mean, you mentioned a lot of different
things, right?
You're going to a completelydifferent school.
You said that most of yourprimary school friends weren't
going to that high school,right?
Yeah.
Do you feel like that weighedmore, or the fact that you were
gonna be going to differentclasses throughout the day felt
heavier?
Or maybe it was just the walkingthrough the door of like facing
(11:07):
the unknown?
SPEAKER_01 (11:08):
I think it was a mix.
Like when I first transitionedinto high school, first walking
through the door was reallyscary for me.
And then I'm trying to sit in aclassroom with people I didn't
know, and the way that theteacher taught, I think, yeah, I
found that first reallyoverwhelming because um I didn't
think I was gonna be able tokeep up in high school.
(11:32):
I think, yeah, the first thingwas the teachers, because I feel
like if you don't have a goodrelationship with your teachers,
it'll be hard for you to be ableto ask questions, to be able to
engage in class.
SPEAKER_00 (11:46):
Yeah, absolutely.
I completely agree with that.
I think teachers definitely makea complete difference in
everyone's experience.
And you're right, if theyespecially with that transition
being so kind of like a shock toyour body, and also it's
completely brand new.
It's like you're getting yourfirst bit of independence on
(12:08):
your own, and especially notknowing anyone and going through
that, that is a lot.
I want to lead us into F withfriendships.
And how did it feel?
Because I'm sure there's likesome young, other young people
that are listening today, andthey probably also had the same
experience as you with not beingable to go to the same school as
(12:28):
some of their friends.
How did it feel like watching,you know, your other friends go
to a different school and yougoing to a completely brand new
school or one that no they werenot at?
SPEAKER_01 (12:41):
I think at first uh it felt pretty sad because I
didn't know when the next time Iwas gonna see my primary school
friends.
But I also felt a bit worriedbecause they weren't gonna be
experiencing the same thing thatI was transitioning into a
school quite far.
SPEAKER_00 (13:01):
Yeah, what kind of experience did they have, or do
you know?
SPEAKER_01 (13:04):
They said that they transitioned quite smoothly in,
especially because they werewith each other.
So they didn't have a problem umwhen they got to year seven.
SPEAKER_00 (13:14):
Yeah, so they stayed together.
Okay.
Now I understand.
And sorry.
You mentioned also, which leadsus into G getting lost.
You mentioned pretending likeyou were taking the long way.
What was going through your mindin those moments?
SPEAKER_01 (13:31):
I think I was very overwhelmed, but I just tried to
hide it in by saying that, ohyeah, I like I was taking the
long way, so they wouldn't thinkthat I would constantly like I
kept getting lost all the time.
unknown (13:46):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (13:47):
But I think the teacher though did know that I
was that I got lost most of thetime.
So she probably didn't mind, butshe I guess she wanted me to
just learn how to be on timemost of the time.
SPEAKER_00 (14:01):
Yeah, absolutely.
Yeah, you're learning your senseof independence and moving into
closer to the adulthood erainstead of the childhood era.
And yeah, the teachers do holdyou more accountable in high
school.
I wanted to go into, which leadsme into H, the heavy workload.
What do you remember a specificnight where you felt just like
(14:22):
extremely like overwhelmed andsaid, like, did you ever feel
like it was too much work or didyou just always tackle it?
SPEAKER_01 (14:30):
I would usually tackle it, but half the time I
would be like, I think when Iwas started year seven, I would
always think one whole chapterof math was so much, and I would
feel like I wouldn't want to domy work because of how much we
would have to do.
But I think when I slowly movedup the years, I was just like,
oh, I might as well just breakit down, maybe do a couple
(14:53):
questions from this chapter, andthen maybe the next day um or a
couple in a couple hours aftermy break, I'll do the other
chapters.
So I felt that was a bit betterinstead of just sitting there
being like, oh, I didn't want todo my work because it was too
hard.
SPEAKER_00 (15:09):
Which leads me to the I, which is isolation.
Did you ever feel alone duringthat transition?
SPEAKER_01 (15:16):
Yeah, I definitely did because obviously when I got
into year seven, everyone in myyear group already had friend
groups, so I was trying to umfind some people to sit with,
but obviously it was quitedifficult at first.
And then there were these threegirls who were really sweet,
they came up to me and asked ifI wanted to hang out with them,
(15:37):
which was really nice of them.
SPEAKER_00 (15:39):
Oh, I love that.
That's beautiful.
I which leads me to my nextletter, which is Jay for
judgment.
Did you feel pressure to looklike you had everything
together, even when you atmoments felt like you were
falling apart or felt confused?
SPEAKER_01 (15:58):
Yeah, sometimes I I would think, oh yeah, I
definitely have this, eventhough in my head I was like,
this is so confusing, I don'treally understand what's going
on.
I like slowly started reachingout to them, and then it felt
much easier for me.
SPEAKER_00 (16:14):
The next letter is K for a key turning point.
But when did you realize that,like, okay, you know what?
I think I think I'm gonna bealright.
Like, I'm at high school, uh,things are finally making sense
for me.
SPEAKER_01 (16:26):
I think towards the like maybe I would say about
term three, term four would be aseven when I was like, oh yeah,
I knew where I was going becausethe classrooms were always the
same for every subject.
It was just how the distancethat it would take me to get
there.
So I would think about timeahead, be like, oh, I've got
five minutes, maybe I shouldstart heading to my next class.
(16:48):
And so I found that really easy.
Um, yeah, I ended up being ableto like be on time for my
subjects, and I wasn't late.
SPEAKER_00 (16:57):
That's really good.
I love that.
And you definitely learn morewith time, you learn a lot more.
And you're gonna learn that toothroughout life.
The next letter is L forlearning.
What did getting lost teach you?
I I mean, I think you kind ofalready said it.
You found better ways, but whatdo you feel like getting lost
(17:19):
taught you?
SPEAKER_01 (17:20):
I feel like when I got lost, it took me time to
think about like why I wasgetting lost and maybe if there
were other approaches um tobeing on time.
And I guess as well, it showedme that even though I'm lost, I
(17:40):
always have a second chance ofchanging the story and all and
thinking about how can I makethis better.
SPEAKER_00 (17:48):
I love that, which leads me to M, which is mindset.
What changed inside of you whenyou stopped panicking as a bell?
SPEAKER_01 (17:55):
I think what stopped like when I stopped panicking,
it was because I was ableprobably um to like slowly
transition and get into otherclasses, and I didn't feel
worried about getting to theclass because it felt pretty
smooth.
SPEAKER_00 (18:14):
Yeah.
That's good.
So through time and experience,it made things like smoother,
and you started your schedulesstarted to get more cemented in
your mind, and you felt like andyou started to know logistically
how to get to A to B quicker.
SPEAKER_01 (18:33):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (18:34):
We talked about this briefly already, but the next
letter is in for new friends.
What helped you open up to newfriendships?
And once you those girls came toyou and said, Hey, you come sit
with us, like how did that makeyou feel?
SPEAKER_01 (18:49):
I think first with the fri like first I'm getting
new friends and having thatlearning experience.
I felt pretty comfortablebecause they were really nice to
me, and I felt like I couldbelong at a school that I didn't
know, even though it was justthe first time that they came up
to me.
Because sometimes usually peoplewho are like that can usually
(19:13):
stab you in the back, and theyyou can end up becoming lonely
again.
Having that support from themwas really sweet, and I think
yeah, it made the transitionmuch easier for me.
Definitely.
SPEAKER_00 (19:26):
I love that.
I want to go to oh,organization, because I know a
lot of people are are listeningand saying, well, when I make
that big transition, maybe it'scoming up for them or they're
currently in it.
How did you learn to manage yourworkload differently with
everything that's going on andtaking in the fact that you're
you're just at a new level inyour education?
SPEAKER_01 (19:49):
I think obviously the use of a planner and a diary
really helped me to organize mywork properly because I was able
to go through each subject andthink, oh, which what homework
do I have?
And whatever was the hardest, Iwould definitely always jump in
the deep end and work on thatfirst before going through all
the minor tasks that I had tocomplete.
SPEAKER_00 (20:11):
I love that.
Okay.
And now we're gonna go intogrowth and reflection.
And these are be what I calllike fire questions, and you can
say what first comes to yourmind, or if you have a little
bit more to say, you can feelfree to say it.
But the next letter is Pperspective.
When you're looking back, wouldyou tell your younger self
(20:32):
anything before that first day?
SPEAKER_01 (20:34):
I probably would have said to my first, to myself
back then, I guess be preparedfor the future because you never
know what's going to be coming.
And it's always good to thinkabout things in time advanced so
that you're not struggling, oreven if you are struggling,
maybe take things slower and Iguess take a couple steps back
(20:58):
and think about how you couldmaybe feel less stressed about
the transition.
SPEAKER_00 (21:09):
I love that.
The next one is Q for a questionof identity.
Did high school help youdiscover something new about who
you are?
SPEAKER_01 (21:16):
Yeah, I guess it did because I didn't realize that I
was able to take on a lot ofworkload in high school.
Because since primary it waspretty simple and
straightforward, I would alwaysthink to myself, oh yeah, I this
is really easy.
I probably could keep with this.
But as I like moved up to highschool, I didn't know that I was
(21:37):
so capable of being able to keepon top of my work as well as
having friends and also askingquestions as well.
SPEAKER_00 (21:45):
Yeah, I love that.
The next one is R for Resiliencedefinition.
How would you define resiliencenow?
SPEAKER_01 (21:52):
I probably would define resilience as I guess
having that courage and alwaysbeing determined.
to do things even though itdoesn't go your way.
SPEAKER_00 (22:02):
I like that.
Yeah.
Just putting the work in themore work you put in, the more
outcome, the more you can helpshift the outcome of what you
want.
But you're right, sometimesthings don't always go our way.
I want to go to the next one,which is S for strength.
What strength did you discoveryou had?
SPEAKER_01 (22:23):
Um I think my strengths are definitely the
creative subjects.
So like visual arts, music,drama, because it definitely
showcases my talents and the wayI I love creative stuff.
So I whenever I'm like feelinglike I have a bad day, those
creative subjects definitely getit off my chest and I feel
(22:44):
pretty relieved about it.
SPEAKER_00 (22:46):
I love that.
That's great.
And when I do T for transitionadvice, what would you say to a
student that's about to starthigh school?
SPEAKER_01 (22:54):
I would probably say I guess take things slow because
obviously you still have a wholeum high school year ahead of you
so you don't need to rushthings.
And also I guess um try to enjoyit as much as you can because I
guess definitely by the scenesof it like when I um look around
(23:18):
adulthood seems pretty tough.
It's a definitely a big stepfrom high school and I guess
having that learning experiencein high school definitely help
for when you go into future jobsand all that.
SPEAKER_00 (23:34):
Yeah I love that.
Let's go for you foruncertainty.
What did learning to navigateuncertainty teach you about
life?
SPEAKER_01 (23:43):
I guess it taught me that even though I'm uncertain
about things I can always askquestions and by asking
questions it will definitelyhelp me navigate through life.
SPEAKER_00 (23:56):
I love that so let's go to V, which is boys.
Do you feel more confident usingyour voice now?
SPEAKER_01 (24:04):
Definitely I'm able to um talk and contribute in
class as well as ask questionsif I'm unsure.
SPEAKER_00 (24:12):
Yeah that's really great.
I love that you developed morecourage in using your voice.
Let's go to W, which is wins.
What's one small win that you'reproud of from your first year of
high school?
SPEAKER_01 (24:24):
I'll probably say the way I managed high school
because definitely it was suchum a big transition and
obviously the stress andoverwhelm it was really tough
for me to change that but Ithink um being able to um have
the courage and to be able totransition eventually felt I I'm
(24:48):
pretty proud of myself with thatdefinitely.
SPEAKER_00 (24:51):
Let's go for X, which is extra challenge.
If you could change one thingabout how schools support
students during theirtransitions, what would it be?
SPEAKER_01 (25:01):
Helping other people who are also struggling through
those times because it woulddefinitely make a big difference
for them.
SPEAKER_00 (25:09):
So let's go to why because we have younger students
that are listening.
What would you say directly tosomeone who feels just
overwhelmed right now like theyjust feel like high school is
just too much and they're yeah Ithink asking for help definitely
is probably where they shouldstart I want to go for Z, which
(25:31):
is zoom out.
When you zoom out and look atthe big picture, what did the
transition teach you?
I think that this has been abeautiful story for Teen
Resilience Spotlight where wemake space for young voices like
yours and remind people thatgrowth often begins in
uncomfortable in between places.
Well thank you so much I reallyappreciate your time on this
(25:51):
episode and I know it'sdefinitely going to help a lot
of people thank you
When you feel like life has dealt you a hand of
unfair cards.
Instead of voting, you doubledown.
You stuck in the game.
You face battles.
You felt broken.
But hey, do us a favor.
Put your hand on your heart.
You feel that.
You're still here.
Welcome to the Resilience FilesUnlocked, where survival meets
(00:25):
transformation.
Welcome back to the ResilienceFiles Unlocked, Teen Resilience
Spotlight.
This is a space where we makeroom for young voices because
resilience doesn't always startin adulthood.
It starts in hallways, it startsin awkward transitions, it
starts in quiet moments whenyoung people are figuring out
(00:47):
who they're becoming.
Today we are joined byCharlotte.
Charlotte, who shares an amazingstory about transitioning from
primary school to high school,what a lot of young people are
going to experience.
Isn't that right, young peoplethat may be listening?
This shift may seem ordinary tomost, but for many teens, it's
one of the first real tests ofidentity, independence, and
(01:09):
confidence.
Charlotte, thank you so much forbeing here.
Before we dive in, we're goingto begin with you sharing your
story.
SPEAKER_01 (01:17):
So primary school felt like its own universe,
small, warm, and predictable inthe best way.
I could walk through the gateswith my eyes half closed, and I
still knew exactly where I wasgoing.
The hallways were narrow butfamiliar.
The classrooms always smeltfaint of glue sticks and old
(01:38):
carpet, and the playground hadthe one tree everyone sat under,
even though no one said it wasthe tree.
It just was.
I knew every teacher by name andthey knew mine.
I knew which doors creased,which steps were uneven, and
which parts of the oval stayedmuddy for days after it rained.
(02:00):
My friends lived close by, sogetting to school was never a
big deal.
A short walk, a quick chat, thesame faces waiting at the gate.
It felt safe because it was theworld I'd grown up in, but
nothing surprised me there.
High school was nothing likethat.
Suddenly, instead of strollingdown the street, I was waking up
(02:22):
earlier than I ever wanted to,dragging myself out the door and
travelling a long way just toget to school.
The train ride felt endless atfirst, long stretches of road,
unfamiliar stops, and the quietmoment where I'd stare out the
window and think, this is reallymy life now.
(02:42):
Every morning I felt like I wasleaving my old world behind,
watching it shrink the distanceas the train carried me
somewhere completely new.
None of my pri my close primaryfriends came with me.
They stayed together, going toschools nearby, still walking
the same streets and eatinglunch in the same groups.
(03:05):
Meanwhile, I was stepping into aplace where no one knew me,
where I had to start fromscratch.
The distance, not just physical,but emotional, made everything
feel heavier.
It was like trying to hold on tosomething that kept slipping
through my fingers.
Walking into high school for thefirst time felt like stepping
(03:26):
into a different universe.
The buildings towered over me,the hallways echoed with
hundreds of voices, and thecrowd moved like fast-flowing
traffic.
Everyone seemed to know wherethey were going except me.
In primary school, the classroomcame to you.
In high school, the bell rangand suddenly you were part of a
(03:48):
stampede, rushing across theschool with a map in your hand
and panic in your chest.
I got lost so many times Istarted pretending I was just
taking the long way wheneversomeone noticed.
One day I walked confidentlyinto a classroom, sat down,
unpacked my books, and onlyrealized something was wrong
(04:12):
when the teacher started talkingabout a different subject I
didn't take.
I remember that sinking feeling,the heat rising in my face, the
awkward shuffle as I packed upand slipped out the door.
And then there was the workload.
In primary school, homework wassimple, predictable, and usually
(04:32):
finished before dinner.
High school felt like beingthrown into deep water.
Everything, every teacher haddifferent expectations,
different rules, differentdeadlines.
I remember staring at my plannerone night, pages full of tasks
from five different subjects,thinking, how am I supposed to
(04:54):
keep up with all of this?
Some nights I felt overwhelmed,like everyone else had already
figured out the secret tosurviving high school, and I was
the only one still trying tocatch my breath.
But slowly.
So slowly I didn't even noticeat first.
Things began to shift.
(05:15):
I started learning the schoollayout, not because someone
explained it perfectly, butbecause I got lost enough times
that eventually the path stuckin my mind.
I found shortcuts, recognizedlandmarks, and stopped panicking
every time the bell rang.
Moving from class to classbecame less of a frantic race
(05:37):
and more of a routine.
Friendships were harder.
Some of my primary friendsdrifted away, not because anyone
did anything wrong, but becausewe were living different lives
now.
But in the middle of all theconfusion, I met new people.
People who were alsooverwhelmed, also unsure, also
(05:57):
trying to find their place.
Those small conversations, thoseshared laughs, those moments of
wait, you felt that too, helpedme realize I wasn't alone.
And the work I learned how toorganize myself, how to ask for
help, how to break things downso they didn't feel impossible.
(06:20):
I realized teachers weren'texpecting perfection.
They just wanted effort,honesty, and a willingness to
try.
Looking back, I can see thatresilience isn't about
pretending that the transitionwas easy, because it wasn't.
It was messy, confusing, andsometimes lonely.
But resilience is about showingup anyways.
(06:42):
It's about waking up early andmaking that long trip even
though you're tired.
It's about walking into aclassroom full of strangers and
giving yourself a chance tobelong.
It's about learning, adapting,and slowly building confidence
in a place that once felt toobig.
I didn't just move from primaryto high school.
(07:03):
I moved from comfort tochallenge, from familiar to
unknown, from being short ofeverything, to learning how to
navigate uncertainty.
And even though it took time, Ifound my place.
I found my strength, and Idiscovered that I'm capable of
more than I ever realized.
SPEAKER_00 (07:24):
Wow, that's so beautiful.
Thank you so much, Charlotte.
Wow.
Well, there's so much to breakdown.
Let's hop right into here.
So we're gonna do this like theABCs of life.
It's A to Z.
I have a few questions we'll runthrough, but um I first want to
know how do you feel afterreading the essay out loud?
SPEAKER_01 (07:46):
I I feel pretty relieved that I was able to
share this kind of story becauseit's I guess hard for people who
also have resilience that aresimilar to mine and they don't
want to share, which it's it'sokay for them, but yeah, I'm
really happy that people canhear about this story because at
(08:08):
least they know that they're notalone.
SPEAKER_00 (08:10):
Absolutely.
I love that.
I think that's so beautiful andso good.
Thank you for that.
So let's talk about the comfortzone.
So we're gonna go A for a rivalof change.
When you first found out youwere going to high school, what
was the first emotion you felt?
I probably felt really worriedbecause I was thinking, what is
(08:33):
high school like?
SPEAKER_01 (08:34):
Is it gonna be scarier than primary?
Am I gonna be able to makefriends easily?
Are the teachers really nice?
Yeah.
So yeah, I think that was mymain worry, and yeah, I guess a
bit of a struggle as well when Ifound out that I wasn't going to
like any primary school withwith my friends.
SPEAKER_00 (08:54):
Oh yeah.
Being afraid of the unknown issomething that happens in life
in more ways than one, but youfirst experien you you
experienced that feeling goingto high school, and that makes
sense.
Talking about your friends notbeing there, I want to go to B,
which is belonging.
In primary school, you describeda deep sense of safety.
(09:15):
What did belonging mean to youback then?
SPEAKER_01 (09:19):
I think it meant to me that you were always with
someone because they were thereto always support you when you
were going through tough times.
So I felt, yeah, in primaryschool, because I had a lot of
friends, everyone was reallysupportive of each other.
And yeah, we would always haveeach other's backs, which was
really nice.
SPEAKER_00 (09:38):
Yeah, and then in high school you had to navigate
those feelings and get used tothe constant change of different
teachers versus just being theone place at all times.
SPEAKER_01 (09:48):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (09:49):
Yeah, that makes sense.
Which leads us into C, which iscomfort.
Do you think like we sometimesdon't realize how comfortable we
are until we leave a place, likesuch as leaving primary school,
going into high school?
SPEAKER_01 (10:04):
Yeah, I think so, because the transition was
definitely really hard at first,but I was able to smoothly get
there, which I was really proudof myself and happy with the way
how the tr even though thetransition was pretty hard, I
still was able to find a goodgroup in high school.
SPEAKER_00 (10:23):
Yeah.
That's really good.
I want to get into that part aswell.
What do you feel like um, whichis leads us to the letter D for
because we're going with A, B,C, D, which is different.
What do you think felt like themost most different thing on the
very first day of school foryou?
SPEAKER_01 (10:40):
I would probably say most different.
SPEAKER_00 (10:44):
It could be, I mean, you mentioned a lot of different
things, right?
You're going to a completelydifferent school.
You said that most of yourprimary school friends weren't
going to that high school,right?
Yeah.
Do you feel like that weighedmore, or the fact that you were
gonna be going to differentclasses throughout the day felt
heavier?
Or maybe it was just the walkingthrough the door of like facing
(11:07):
the unknown?
SPEAKER_01 (11:08):
I think it was a mix.
Like when I first transitionedinto high school, first walking
through the door was reallyscary for me.
And then I'm trying to sit in aclassroom with people I didn't
know, and the way that theteacher taught, I think, yeah, I
found that first reallyoverwhelming because um I didn't
think I was gonna be able tokeep up in high school.
(11:32):
I think, yeah, the first thingwas the teachers, because I feel
like if you don't have a goodrelationship with your teachers,
it'll be hard for you to be ableto ask questions, to be able to
engage in class.
SPEAKER_00 (11:46):
Yeah, absolutely.
I completely agree with that.
I think teachers definitely makea complete difference in
everyone's experience.
And you're right, if theyespecially with that transition
being so kind of like a shock toyour body, and also it's
completely brand new.
It's like you're getting yourfirst bit of independence on
(12:08):
your own, and especially notknowing anyone and going through
that, that is a lot.
I want to lead us into F withfriendships.
And how did it feel?
Because I'm sure there's likesome young, other young people
that are listening today, andthey probably also had the same
experience as you with not beingable to go to the same school as
(12:28):
some of their friends.
How did it feel like watching,you know, your other friends go
to a different school and yougoing to a completely brand new
school or one that no they werenot at?
SPEAKER_01 (12:41):
I think at first uh it felt pretty sad because I
didn't know when the next time Iwas gonna see my primary school
friends.
But I also felt a bit worriedbecause they weren't gonna be
experiencing the same thing thatI was transitioning into a
school quite far.
SPEAKER_00 (13:01):
Yeah, what kind of experience did they have, or do
you know?
SPEAKER_01 (13:04):
They said that they transitioned quite smoothly in,
especially because they werewith each other.
So they didn't have a problem umwhen they got to year seven.
SPEAKER_00 (13:14):
Yeah, so they stayed together.
Okay.
Now I understand.
And sorry.
You mentioned also, which leadsus into G getting lost.
You mentioned pretending likeyou were taking the long way.
What was going through your mindin those moments?
SPEAKER_01 (13:31):
I think I was very overwhelmed, but I just tried to
hide it in by saying that, ohyeah, I like I was taking the
long way, so they wouldn't thinkthat I would constantly like I
kept getting lost all the time.
unknown (13:46):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (13:47):
But I think the teacher though did know that I
was that I got lost most of thetime.
So she probably didn't mind, butshe I guess she wanted me to
just learn how to be on timemost of the time.
SPEAKER_00 (14:01):
Yeah, absolutely.
Yeah, you're learning your senseof independence and moving into
closer to the adulthood erainstead of the childhood era.
And yeah, the teachers do holdyou more accountable in high
school.
I wanted to go into, which leadsme into H, the heavy workload.
What do you remember a specificnight where you felt just like
(14:22):
extremely like overwhelmed andsaid, like, did you ever feel
like it was too much work or didyou just always tackle it?
SPEAKER_01 (14:30):
I would usually tackle it, but half the time I
would be like, I think when Iwas started year seven, I would
always think one whole chapterof math was so much, and I would
feel like I wouldn't want to domy work because of how much we
would have to do.
But I think when I slowly movedup the years, I was just like,
oh, I might as well just breakit down, maybe do a couple
(14:53):
questions from this chapter, andthen maybe the next day um or a
couple in a couple hours aftermy break, I'll do the other
chapters.
So I felt that was a bit betterinstead of just sitting there
being like, oh, I didn't want todo my work because it was too
hard.
SPEAKER_00 (15:09):
Which leads me to the I, which is isolation.
Did you ever feel alone duringthat transition?
SPEAKER_01 (15:16):
Yeah, I definitely did because obviously when I got
into year seven, everyone in myyear group already had friend
groups, so I was trying to umfind some people to sit with,
but obviously it was quitedifficult at first.
And then there were these threegirls who were really sweet,
they came up to me and asked ifI wanted to hang out with them,
(15:37):
which was really nice of them.
SPEAKER_00 (15:39):
Oh, I love that.
That's beautiful.
I which leads me to my nextletter, which is Jay for
judgment.
Did you feel pressure to looklike you had everything
together, even when you atmoments felt like you were
falling apart or felt confused?
SPEAKER_01 (15:58):
Yeah, sometimes I I would think, oh yeah, I
definitely have this, eventhough in my head I was like,
this is so confusing, I don'treally understand what's going
on.
I like slowly started reachingout to them, and then it felt
much easier for me.
SPEAKER_00 (16:14):
The next letter is K for a key turning point.
But when did you realize that,like, okay, you know what?
I think I think I'm gonna bealright.
Like, I'm at high school, uh,things are finally making sense
for me.
SPEAKER_01 (16:26):
I think towards the like maybe I would say about
term three, term four would be aseven when I was like, oh yeah,
I knew where I was going becausethe classrooms were always the
same for every subject.
It was just how the distancethat it would take me to get
there.
So I would think about timeahead, be like, oh, I've got
five minutes, maybe I shouldstart heading to my next class.
(16:48):
And so I found that really easy.
Um, yeah, I ended up being ableto like be on time for my
subjects, and I wasn't late.
SPEAKER_00 (16:57):
That's really good.
I love that.
And you definitely learn morewith time, you learn a lot more.
And you're gonna learn that toothroughout life.
The next letter is L forlearning.
What did getting lost teach you?
I I mean, I think you kind ofalready said it.
You found better ways, but whatdo you feel like getting lost
(17:19):
taught you?
SPEAKER_01 (17:20):
I feel like when I got lost, it took me time to
think about like why I wasgetting lost and maybe if there
were other approaches um tobeing on time.
And I guess as well, it showedme that even though I'm lost, I
(17:40):
always have a second chance ofchanging the story and all and
thinking about how can I makethis better.
SPEAKER_00 (17:48):
I love that, which leads me to M, which is mindset.
What changed inside of you whenyou stopped panicking as a bell?
SPEAKER_01 (17:55):
I think what stopped like when I stopped panicking,
it was because I was ableprobably um to like slowly
transition and get into otherclasses, and I didn't feel
worried about getting to theclass because it felt pretty
smooth.
SPEAKER_00 (18:14):
Yeah.
That's good.
So through time and experience,it made things like smoother,
and you started your schedulesstarted to get more cemented in
your mind, and you felt like andyou started to know logistically
how to get to A to B quicker.
SPEAKER_01 (18:33):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (18:34):
We talked about this briefly already, but the next
letter is in for new friends.
What helped you open up to newfriendships?
And once you those girls came toyou and said, Hey, you come sit
with us, like how did that makeyou feel?
SPEAKER_01 (18:49):
I think first with the fri like first I'm getting
new friends and having thatlearning experience.
I felt pretty comfortablebecause they were really nice to
me, and I felt like I couldbelong at a school that I didn't
know, even though it was justthe first time that they came up
to me.
Because sometimes usually peoplewho are like that can usually
(19:13):
stab you in the back, and theyyou can end up becoming lonely
again.
Having that support from themwas really sweet, and I think
yeah, it made the transitionmuch easier for me.
Definitely.
SPEAKER_00 (19:26):
I love that.
I want to go to oh,organization, because I know a
lot of people are are listeningand saying, well, when I make
that big transition, maybe it'scoming up for them or they're
currently in it.
How did you learn to manage yourworkload differently with
everything that's going on andtaking in the fact that you're
you're just at a new level inyour education?
SPEAKER_01 (19:49):
I think obviously the use of a planner and a diary
really helped me to organize mywork properly because I was able
to go through each subject andthink, oh, which what homework
do I have?
And whatever was the hardest, Iwould definitely always jump in
the deep end and work on thatfirst before going through all
the minor tasks that I had tocomplete.
SPEAKER_00 (20:11):
I love that.
Okay.
And now we're gonna go intogrowth and reflection.
And these are be what I calllike fire questions, and you can
say what first comes to yourmind, or if you have a little
bit more to say, you can feelfree to say it.
But the next letter is Pperspective.
When you're looking back, wouldyou tell your younger self
(20:32):
anything before that first day?
SPEAKER_01 (20:34):
I probably would have said to my first, to myself
back then, I guess be preparedfor the future because you never
know what's going to be coming.
And it's always good to thinkabout things in time advanced so
that you're not struggling, oreven if you are struggling,
maybe take things slower and Iguess take a couple steps back
(20:58):
and think about how you couldmaybe feel less stressed about
the transition.
SPEAKER_00 (21:09):
I love that.
The next one is Q for a questionof identity.
Did high school help youdiscover something new about who
you are?
SPEAKER_01 (21:16):
Yeah, I guess it did because I didn't realize that I
was able to take on a lot ofworkload in high school.
Because since primary it waspretty simple and
straightforward, I would alwaysthink to myself, oh yeah, I this
is really easy.
I probably could keep with this.
But as I like moved up to highschool, I didn't know that I was
(21:37):
so capable of being able to keepon top of my work as well as
having friends and also askingquestions as well.
SPEAKER_00 (21:45):
Yeah, I love that.
The next one is R for Resiliencedefinition.
How would you define resiliencenow?
SPEAKER_01 (21:52):
I probably would define resilience as I guess
having that courage and alwaysbeing determined.
to do things even though itdoesn't go your way.
SPEAKER_00 (22:02):
I like that.
Yeah.
Just putting the work in themore work you put in, the more
outcome, the more you can helpshift the outcome of what you
want.
But you're right, sometimesthings don't always go our way.
I want to go to the next one,which is S for strength.
What strength did you discoveryou had?
SPEAKER_01 (22:23):
Um I think my strengths are definitely the
creative subjects.
So like visual arts, music,drama, because it definitely
showcases my talents and the wayI I love creative stuff.
So I whenever I'm like feelinglike I have a bad day, those
creative subjects definitely getit off my chest and I feel
(22:44):
pretty relieved about it.
SPEAKER_00 (22:46):
I love that.
That's great.
And when I do T for transitionadvice, what would you say to a
student that's about to starthigh school?
SPEAKER_01 (22:54):
I would probably say I guess take things slow because
obviously you still have a wholeum high school year ahead of you
so you don't need to rushthings.
And also I guess um try to enjoyit as much as you can because I
guess definitely by the scenesof it like when I um look around
(23:18):
adulthood seems pretty tough.
It's a definitely a big stepfrom high school and I guess
having that learning experiencein high school definitely help
for when you go into future jobsand all that.
SPEAKER_00 (23:34):
Yeah I love that.
Let's go for you foruncertainty.
What did learning to navigateuncertainty teach you about
life?
SPEAKER_01 (23:43):
I guess it taught me that even though I'm uncertain
about things I can always askquestions and by asking
questions it will definitelyhelp me navigate through life.
SPEAKER_00 (23:56):
I love that so let's go to V, which is boys.
Do you feel more confident usingyour voice now?
SPEAKER_01 (24:04):
Definitely I'm able to um talk and contribute in
class as well as ask questionsif I'm unsure.
SPEAKER_00 (24:12):
Yeah that's really great.
I love that you developed morecourage in using your voice.
Let's go to W, which is wins.
What's one small win that you'reproud of from your first year of
high school?
SPEAKER_01 (24:24):
I'll probably say the way I managed high school
because definitely it was suchum a big transition and
obviously the stress andoverwhelm it was really tough
for me to change that but Ithink um being able to um have
the courage and to be able totransition eventually felt I I'm
(24:48):
pretty proud of myself with thatdefinitely.
SPEAKER_00 (24:51):
Let's go for X, which is extra challenge.
If you could change one thingabout how schools support
students during theirtransitions, what would it be?
SPEAKER_01 (25:01):
Helping other people who are also struggling through
those times because it woulddefinitely make a big difference
for them.
SPEAKER_00 (25:09):
So let's go to why because we have younger students
that are listening.
What would you say directly tosomeone who feels just
overwhelmed right now like theyjust feel like high school is
just too much and they're yeah Ithink asking for help definitely
is probably where they shouldstart I want to go for Z, which
(25:31):
is zoom out.
When you zoom out and look atthe big picture, what did the
transition teach you?
I think that this has been abeautiful story for Teen
Resilience Spotlight where wemake space for young voices like
yours and remind people thatgrowth often begins in
uncomfortable in between places.
Well thank you so much I reallyappreciate your time on this
(25:51):
episode and I know it'sdefinitely going to help a lot
of people thank you
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