I have struggled a lot with peer and family pressure. I have always been expected to do something great. It's always "make all A's" and "no referrals" or "I can't believe you don't know the answer." The best choice I made was remembering that it is okay to break under pressure. Crying was always what I resulted to. Whether it was crying silently or alone or yelling at others in my head. This gave me a lot of relief. I began to learn that I don't always have to be Ms. Perfect. I still try to be perfect but now I know how to do it correctly. I can now still please everyone without hurting myself. - middle school student, NC
