[What is your best piece of advice and how does it apply to your life?]

The answer for junior Chloe Kovarik? “Do what you want to do, not what people tell you to do.”

Since starting high school, Kovarik has participated in extracurricular activities, like swim team at the Y, on the advice of her parents. But this summer, she sought out activities that build more on what she loves.

“I’m [swimming] for a different association,” Kovarik said, and also a volunteer opportunity where “I’m teaching people how to swim. So, it’s gauged toward my viewpoint of teaching people, because that’s ultimately what I love doing: teaching people things.”

The advice goes deeper for Kovarik than just doing what you want.

“I don’t think this advice should be used as an excuse not to do certain things, but I think it should be a way for people to find what they like to do and what they would want to do.”

Kovarik continues swimming and teaching into the school year.

For the past two years, I’ve been doing extracurriculars that my parents wanted me to do for college and stuff, which I didn’t mind, but I didn’t want to do them for the rest of my high school career. So I went out over the summer and found different extracurriculars that I enjoyed doing and made a habit over the summer to continue into the school year.

“I feel like I am happier because I’m doing what I want to do. And it’s still, I guess, in my parents’ eyes, good for college applications, but it’s what I want to do and it’s what I enjoy doing, so I do it more often because I like doing it.

I don’t think this advice should be used as an excuse not to do certain things, but I think it should be a way for people to find what they like to do and what they would want to do.

I used to do swimming on a swim team for the y, and now I’m doing it for a different association. It’s like this volunteer opportunity where I still get to swim on a team, but I’m teaching people how to swim. So it’s like, more like geared towards my viewpoint of teaching people, because that’s ultimately what I love doing is just teaching people things.”