I walk into my English class the day of orientation.

I size up my peers. My competition.

To get to where I want to be I have to beat all of them.

Stanford only takes one student per school each year.

They will take me.

 

I walk to my homeroom after school one day in tears.

I got a B in Spanish for the year.

There's no way I'll beat them now.

Stanford only takes one student per school each year.

They won't take me.

 

Flash forward to Junior Year.

 

I walk to lunch with my best friends.

The ones that used to be my competition.

I congratulate one of them for getting an internship at NASA.

Stanford only takes one student per school each year.

I hope it's him.

 

I walk to my car after school that day.

I'm in awe of all the amazing people I have around me.

Each and every one of them are going to change the world.

Stanford only takes one student per school each year.

That'll be a hard choice for them.

 

As I grow up, I realize:

Other people's success does not detract from my own,

I'm not on this Earth to compete with everyone,

Life is better when people build each other up,

And I don't even want to go to Stanford.