This May will mark 10 years since I graduated from Fresno Christian. This milestone makes me realize that all of those clichés about time flying, as you get older are actually true; maybe that’s why they are clichés in the first place.

The same people who say that time flies as you get older also say that high school – and the years that follow it – is the time to find yourself. It’s the time to define who you are and the kind of life you are going to live. This cliché, I’m finding, is also true.

One of my favorite stories related to this subject is about a Russian actor. Trained in the Stanislavsky method famous for teaching students to find the true essence of their characters, this actor was celebrated all over Russia for his ability to truly become the characters he played.

One day, however, the actor realized that, while he had been able to capture the essence of the characters on stage, he had never bothered to uncover his own essence – to discover his own self. This man committed to do just that and looked deep within himself to see what was inside. The result of this – and the end of the story – was that the man quit acting, gave up his possessions and devoted himself to Christ; he has lived the rest of his life in the service of others. True story.

How many people go through life never looking inside to see who they really are and what they really believe? How many people live life by inertia, propelled simply by the situations around them? Too many I’m afraid – most, even.

High school is the time to begin the process of figuring out who you are, what you believe and how you are going to live your life. Armed with at least some definitive ideas on this subject, you will be much better prepared to face the challenges that will come in the years following graduation.

Fresno Christian presents an incredible opportunity to develop this sense of self. High school at Fresno Christian was for me an amazing time, marked by close friendships that have proven the test of time and distance.

The things I learned and the activities I pursued shaped the years that followed, like an arrow that sets the direction at the beginning of a race. For me, a seemingly innocuous trip to Europe with Mr. (Greg) Stobbe during my sophomore year opened my eyes to the size of the world outside. During that and subsequent trips, I decided that after high school I would learn more about what was out there – beyond the city limits and state lines.

The ten years that have followed have been more or less further discovery down that road – a road, which for me has proven to be not without its bumps or blind curves, but also full of remarkable rewards.

Figuring out who you are and who you want to become may not lead you, like the Russian actor, to give up your possessions. You may not change directions in life and may never leave home. You will, however, be able to live life deliberately, to become the type of person you want to become. Fresno Christian has given you this opportunity; will you take it?