October is the "Month of the Young Adolescent" in Knox County. It is a time to reflect on the pros and cons of being a young adolescent in middle school. We asked some of our students to share their thoughts on the following:

I. Describe the challenges and struggles middle school students face.

"Middle school is a jungle of pimply kids struggling to find their identities. Kids find pain in slowly beginning their journey to adulthood, and sometimes true friends are hard to find." Gill

"Students deal with everything from bullies to peer pressure, homework to dress code. Most students have a vigorous and busy after school schedule, and we don't have much time to hang around with friends." Katie

"One challenge that middle school students face is trust. Most adults think that we're all no-good, bad-behaviored punks. It's not that we're doing anything wrong; we're just doing it differently than adults." Will

"Between academics and athletics, the amount of challenges are innumerable. The cliques and how they act are one, the egos of individuals themselves are another, and then you have to be the person who deals with it." Todd

"One problem is verbal bullying. I had to choose between a punch or being torn down emotionally, I'd take the punch." Stephanie

"Too many times I see people pick on others and spread rumors. It needs to stop." Mady

II. Describe what you believe are the unique, positive strengths that middle school students have that adults may not recognize or respect.

"I know so many people here who are unique. Some athletics such as tennis, lacrosse, baseball, track, and cross country aren't given as much recognition. We also have a school full of really polite people." Angela

"Often, it seems like adults undervalue the strength and charisma middle school students generally have." Ashlee

"Many parents don't recognize students' goals. They may not respect how hard the student works to earn a good grade. " Miranda

"I think since we are younger, we tend to find solutions right away that are simple and efficient instead of over-analyzing and making things more difficult." Elizabeth

III. What motivates you?

"My dad said he would give me his car if I maintain a 3.8 GPA through 9th grade. I also work hard to have the privilege of playing baseball. I motivate myself by saying 'Sam, if you do well in school and focus, you will do well in everything else and will have a good life.'" Sam

"I know I need good grades for college. Rewards from my parents and the thought of a great future motivate me." Michael

"A few things that motivate me are friends, support from parents, and my own ability. Everyday, I look forward to seeing my friends, hearing how proud my parents are, and just knowing I can do it. We are one, we're united, we're Farragut!" Miranda