Introduction to Students

"It was the best of times. It was the worst of times."
– Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

This statement seems like it contradicts itself and doesn’t make sense. This statement can, however, describe what it is like to go through adolescence.

It is the "best of times". Your adolescent years are the time when you get to discover yourself and what you believe as you move from concrete thinking to abstract thinking. It is the time when you develop independence and begin to make choices for yourself. You start going to middle school, then high school, then you get your driver’s license, get a job, and start thinking about college. You are making big decisions about life: your career, where to go to college, what kind of person you want to marry. Even though you are developing character and learning responsibility, you still have the freedom to act crazy and have fun.

It can also be the "worst of times". You are experiencing so many new things at the same time that your mind and body are going through so many developmental changes. This can make life very confusing. All these changes can also create a lot of insecurity. Daily struggles become amplified and affect you a lot more deeply. Hormones are rushing through your body as you develop through adolescence. This can make life like a roller–coaster; one moment you’re on top of the world, the next moment you’re feeling really down. You can go through a lot of emotionally painful situations as you deal with friends, dating, and parents. Life can become overwhelming as you try to keep everything in balance.

At Unite 4 Life, our passion is to help hurting students. We want you to know that we understand what you and your friends are going through. We are here to support you during this exciting and confusing journey through your adolescent years. Even though you are developing independence, it helps to know that there are people who will walk through life with you.

Feel free to explore our website. If you can’t find what you are looking for, you want to get involved in one of our programs, or you just need to connect with an adult who cares about you, please contact us.