Molly Crouch ‘24, Social Media Manager
Countless decisions can be listed as mistakes or accomplishments for the 2021 year, but each year is a learning experience for everyone. With gained knowledge from previous years, students are eager to start 2022 off right by creating new year’s resolutions for themselves. A new years resolution is a promise to oneself to try something different, find something new, focus on what is in front of you, or just to learn to be yourself. These can both be mental and physical ideas that push the boundaries of a person, trying to find their best self. With self-improvement on their minds, here are some of the South Lyon High School students resolutions they hope to accomplish this year.
Maddie Epler ‘24
Working out, developing positive mindsets, and trying new things are some common goals shared across the globe. Sophomore Maddie Epler said, “This year I tried to challenge myself so I created a couple new year’s resolutions for myself. They were focusing on greater physical activity, journaling, and learning a new language.” Epler explains physical health is very important for her sports seasons and feels she needs to get off the couch during the winter months. She plans to keep up this physical activity around her house and contact a personal trainer for support. Along with her physical journey, she has mental goals in mind. She wants to challenge herself by learning a language not taught in schools, and start journaling for personal interest. Epler said, “I was thinking French or Italian, I just feel that since language is a required school credit, it takes the fun out of actually understanding the words. I think it could also be fun to journal these new learned languages because it can show how I have grown over the course of learning them.” But writing a new language is not her only interest for journaling; Epler is excited to talk about her day, saying she hopes it is something she can look back on and laugh or realize what she was going through in a different way.
Lindsay Kidder ‘25
Another big objective to complete during the year is working on personal sporting goals. This year, freshman Lindsay Kidder joined the girls basketball team. “It was a very exciting announcement, and I am gracious to be a part of the team,” Kidder said. She wanted to work on this new accomplishment this year, Kidder said, “My resolution this year is to make more free throws in basketball and work on my game. Currently, my percentage of made throws is lower than I would like it to be, and it would feel great if I would be able to improve it.” Kidder hopes that the new scores and practice can help her team win even more games and matchups. She believes this is a resolution that she should be able to accomplish regularly because of her enjoyment of the sport and constant practice with her team. Kidder elaborated and said, “I think improving my game will help me during the summer also because I like putting on scrimmages with my friends and teammates.” Aiming for both team improvement and self persistence, Kidder hopes to stay motivated through the year by shooting free throws.
Emily Authier ‘24
Meeting different people and seeing friends in different crowds are important ways for people to expand their communication skills throughout the year. Sophomore Emily Authier said, “This year I want to try to get out of my comfort zone and meet new people. I always feel like I fall into the same crowds and never get to experience what different perspectives of high school can be like.” With a more outgoing approach to in-school interactions, Authier plans on getting to know the different people in her classes. She is also very excited for when the semester changes because she gets to see new people in her classes. “Because I am comfortable with the teachers now, next semester I will be able to focus more on the people around me, and trust that I can complete the workloads,” Authier said. This new experience is what Authier is most looking forward to this year, and hopes this can grow her high school experience.
Emma Tupa ‘25
Personal fitness is important to keep up with, especially for those who want to use it in later parts of the year. Freshman Emma Tupa said, “Over break I decided that this year I wanted to focus on becoming more physically active for my high school and offseason sports. I just feel like when I take a break for a long time, I can never start as well as I ended last year.” Tupa hopes to come up with a consistent workout schedule that can help balance both her school work and outings with her friends. She also said, “I want to try to workout in ways that I do not view a torture, like straight running is not my thing. I want to do more activities like workouts such as ice skating or maybe just practice a different sport I don’t usually play.” By working out muscles not usually used during her sport seasons, Tupa would be able to excel in her upcoming sport seasons.
Makenzie O’Toole ‘24
Mental health has been a growing focus for people through the years, many are a major part of some people’s resolutions. Sophomore Makenzie O’Toole said, “I have a new year’s resolution every year to focus on my mental and physical health, and every year I increase the expectations I give myself. I, most importantly, focus on mental health because I would not be able to get where I am today if I ignored my emotions.” O’Toole helps explain that this step of making mental health a priority was a major factor for how productive and motivated she is during the day. Mental health is an important factor in social life as well; O’Toole said, “The better my mood and control on my actions is, the more decisions I can make for myself.” This self control is something she strives for because she feels like she can live the life she wants when she is worrying about others.
This year, students have planned for new exercises, conversations, and learning experiences, but everyone gets to pick their own goals for the year. So though there are many similarities between resolutions, everyone has their personal expectations and challenges for themself that they want to complete in 2022.
Lyon Life 