Original story appeared in The Journal

Each month our young authors write, in their own voice, stories that will educate and inform fellow students and parents. If you are a teen who would like to write your story, contact The Journal. We’ll help you polish it up, so don’t worry, let’s just get to sharing.

This month’s author is Middletown’s Bryan Reimertz, a 17-year-old senior at Middletown High School North. Bryan just won the Basie Award as an actor. He’s also an athlete, singer, student and a team leader with this month’s Red Bank CROP Hunger Walk, and he’s not alone. Many teens are also battling tight schedules to participate in many extracurricular activities. Bryan learned that it can be hard sometimes, but that pushing through will teach you a lot about what you are capable of. Here is Bryan’s story.

Starting in middle school, I began many extracurricular activities. It may sound odd, but I felt somewhat relieved when schools closed down because of the pandemic. Finally, I had some time just to chill out, sleep and relax.

It was nice, but after about a year of virtual learning, I wanted to return to the human interaction of in-person school. I was happy to walk in as a sophomore. I was happy to hang out with my old friends, and I even met new friends almost immediately. Best of all, I was happy to be reintroducing myself to the many activities I really missed before the shutdown.

That first fall season, I got involved in theater, marching band, swim team, French Honors Society and concert, a cappella and All-Shore choir. One activity I particularly enjoyed was helping with Red Bank’s annual CROP Walk and working to help better the community. Certainly, it was not easy; I had to adjust my schedule constantly, and I was always out of the house.

By the winter, I was extremely stressed. I couldn’t keep up with the workload of all of these heavy activities, not to mention the intensity of the school work started to spike. The workload just kept piling up like a wall that was getting far too large to climb. However, a lesson my mom taught me at this moment of stress was that you could always just dig under the wall; all I needed was the shovel.  

I started by packing for the entire day the night before. I made sure I had my school bag, play script, swim bag and more items packed away before anything started. Then, I took all the bags and items with me everywhere I went, so I was always prepared to go immediately to my next class. I must thank my music teacher for so leniently letting me store the items in the classroom. That taught me a strong lesson; it is OK to ask for help. Being the busy man I seemed to be, I always felt scared to ask for help, especially coming out of the pandemic, where I felt like I had to relearn who all of my friends were. However, I quickly learned that when you find the right people, they will be there the moment you need them most. I considered them an extra hand, and in return, I offered my hand to those who needed it; my friends and I became even closer in the process.  

I confidently moved into my junior year, but the stress just doubled. It was my first year with college-level classes. The workload was much harder and so was the studying. In addition, as an upperclassman, I was now seen as a role model for the younger students. I volunteered for some leadership roles in my activities, such as treasurer of the Drama Club, section leader in the marching band and youth leader in the annual CROP Walk, all while still participating in other activities like swimming, choir and French Honors Society.  

I might as well have been made of rubber because I was stretched, twisted and turned in every possible direction, but people were relying on me. The pressure had never felt higher. I felt like I was connecting a puzzle with pieces from many different boxes. It became so hard that I thought quitting everything would relieve me of these overwhelming feelings of anxiety.  

Little did I know though, things were about to change for the better. Playing a soldier in the spring musical was quite the honor, but I didn’t quite realize how much I fit the part until the day I wore a sleeveless shirt to practice. A castmate said, “Bryan, I didn’t know you were buff!” I was buff? I never described myself that way, but I noticed the muscles on my arms. That’s when I felt a lot of gratitude for those swim practices every night. Just like that, I saw how my athletic conditioning was boosting my acting skills and stage presence. Unbelievably I had the honor of receiving a Basie Award for acting.  

It all clicked. Even though all my activities seemed so different, each and every thing you do can be a building block to your next accomplishment. My time in theater gave me great public speaking skills for leading the CROP Walk, which looked great on my National Honors Society application. I could only hope all of these actions would help me toward my tryouts for college. Sure, I made some sacrifices, like dropping marching band, but I think of that wall. Digging through the roughest dirt leads to the richest gold. Although making choices and decisions may look grim, I would urge all to know that despite the stress and anxiety, you’ll find your way, and you will certainly be rewarded for the work you put in!