I feel like school is about more than just getting good grades. It feels like I am working towards something bigger than myself, something I cannot explain. As a Hispanic student, I sometimes feel pressure to do well because I want to make my parents proud and show them that their hard work means something. Even when nobody directly tells me I have to be perfect, I feel like I should be doing more. The hardest part is that I do not always know what doing my best is supposed to look like. Sometimes I wonder how I am supposed to meet an expectation that I cannot even define for myself.
I know that my parents want the best for me, and I believe many of their expectations come from wanting me to have a good future. When I think about how hard parents work to provide opportunities for their children, I sometimes feel like I owe it to them to succeed. I want them to be proud of me, and I want them to see that their efforts weren’t in vain. Growing up in a Hispanic family, I have sometimes connected academic success with the sacrifices my family makes. I cannot speak for every Hispanic student, but for me, that connection can make school feel more personal than just completing assignments or earning a grade.
What makes this pressure difficult is that I do not think it always comes from my parents. Sometimes, I put more pressure on myself than anyone else does. I get caught up thinking about what I should be doing, what grades I should be getting and how much further ahead I could be. Even when I accomplish something, I sometimes focus on what I could have done better instead of recognizing what I have already accomplished. Eventually, that pressure became more than I knew how to handle. It stopped being just about schoolwork and started affecting my mental health. I struggled with depression and anxiety, and it became difficult to manage the expectations I had placed on myself. I had spent so much time trying to do enough that I did not realize how much I was struggling along the way.
One moment that stands out to me is when a teacher asked me if I was okay. It might have seemed like a simple question, but it made me stop and think about what I had been going through. Until then, I had been so focused on keeping up with everything that I had not fully recognized how much I needed help. Having someone notice and ask me that question helped me realize that I did not have to keep everything to myself. I eventually reached out for help, and that became an important step in my journey. Looking back, I realized how much it mattered that someone took the time to ask instead of assuming I was fine or believing the mask I put on every day.
Getting help did not suddenly make every expectation disappear, but it helped me learn how to face them differently. Eventually, I was able to feel that academic pressure again without feeling completely consumed by it. I could care about my grades and my future without letting them define every part of me. In a way, I started to understand that I did not have to choose between wanting to succeed and taking care of myself. I could still have goals, work hard and make my family proud while also recognizing when I needed support. That experience changed how I look at success because it showed me that pushing through everything alone is not the same as being strong.
I also think about how difficult it can be for students and parents to understand each other when it comes to academic pressure. From my perspective, parents may worry about their children’s futures, while students may worry about disappointing the people they love. Sometimes, both sides care deeply but struggle to communicate what they are feeling. I do not believe that wanting your child to succeed is wrong. However, I think it is important to recognize that a student’s grades do not always show what they are going through. I wish it were easier for students to explain when things become overwhelming for them and to feel that asking for help does not make them a disappointment. And if there is one thing my experience has taught me, it is that sometimes, the most important thing someone can hear is a simple question: “Are you okay?”