Reflecting on My Grade 12 Journey: mPOL 2025 🌈

This year has been about finding balance — between school, work, and personal growth. As I move through my final year of high school, I’ve started to see how much the habits and skills I’ve been developing align with my Vision, Mission, and Values (VMV).

When I created my VMV at the start of the year, I set out to graduate with discipline and balance in all areas of life. That meant prioritizing schoolwork, setting boundaries, and taking more responsibility for my own learning. Looking back, I’ve made significant progress — but it’s always something to work on.

🎯 Successes: Finding Confidence in Creativity

One of the biggest successes this year was the horror film project. It challenged me both creatively and logistically — balancing script writing, filming, and editing alongside other schoolwork. This project was a turning point because it pushed me to trust my own ideas and collaborate more effectively with others.

What made this a success was proactive time management — I started scheduling editing sessions ahead of time and setting small benchmarks. By breaking the process down into smaller steps, I was able to meet deadlines without sacrificing quality.

Diving Deeper into the Horror Film Project

My role as the music production director or “guy who did the music” was to show emotion that reflected our issue through music and sound. This involved communicating with the team and director to follow our vision, while also convincing them to let me take creative risks with the audio.

The most challenging part was synthesizing input from various sources – director’s ideas, peer notes, musician critiques – into one cohesive product. I had to constantly move around to show people what I was doing and juggle notes from many different people. Additionally, the music and sound had to be added after the final cut, which required precise timing and coordination.

This experience taught me valuable lessons in balancing different perspectives while maintaining a unified vision. It also pushed me to be more accepting of my abilities and to know when to finish something and move on — a skill I’ve struggled with in the past.

How This Connects to My VMV:

• Vision: This project gave me confidence in my ability to manage creative projects independently. It also demonstrated that I can handle tight deadlines and high-pressure situations.
• Mission: I practiced self-regulation by prioritizing editing sessions over other distractions. The time constraints forced me to be mindful of what I could realistically accomplish.
• Values: Collaboration played a huge role, especially during the filming process. I also had to be creative in problem-solving, particularly when integrating different feedback into the final product.

💪 Setbacks: Pushing Past Discomfort

One of the most challenging projects this year was my Indigenous Feminism project. What made it difficult wasn’t just the research — it was how personal the topic became. Learning about the history of Indigenous women’s activism made me realize how much these issues affect my own family.

At first, I found it hard to separate research from passion of the topic. I spent too long gathering background information instead of developing claims early on. But through this process, I learned that discomfort is often part of meaningful learning — especially when it connects to identity.

What I Learned:

• It’s okay to feel uncomfortable when learning about difficult topics.
• Personal connections can make a project stronger, not weaker.
• Asking for feedback from mentors helped me refine my ideas.

Applying These Lessons

This experience has made me more aware of the emotional aspects of learning. In future projects, I plan to:

1. Acknowledge my personal connections to a topic early in the process.
2. Set specific time limits for initial research to avoid getting stuck in the information-gathering phase.
3. Seek out diverse perspectives, especially on topics that feel personally challenging.

🌐 Balance Beyond Academics

One of the biggest challenges this year has been balancing school, work, and life. Working at Cactus Club while keeping up with assignments has tested my time management skills more than ever. But it’s also helped me practice the self-regulation I set out to develop in my VMV.

By setting clearer boundaries — like scheduling study sessions before shifts and leaving my phone off while working — I’ve found a rhythm that works. It’s not perfect, but I’ve learned that balance isn’t about perfection — it’s about making small, consistent choices.

Practical Strategies for Balance

1. Using my calendar effectively: I’ve started blocking out specific times for schoolwork, work shifts, and personal time. This visual representation helps me ensure I’m allocating enough time to each area of my life.
2. Communicating proactively: When I left town for a ski trip, I reached out to my math teacher in advance to get assignments early. This allowed me to complete the work while I was away, demonstrating my improved time management and communication skills.
3. Creating a dedicated study space: I’ve learned the importance of having a clear, distraction-free area for schoolwork. Using headphones and keeping my desk space clear of non-school-related items has significantly improved my focus and productivity.

🔄 Feedback and Growth

Throughout the year, I’ve received valuable feedback from teachers and mentors. One piece of advice that stood out came from Mr. Harris: “Your ideas are there — you just need to trust yourself to get to the point faster.” This has helped me recognize that I sometimes get caught up in research instead of moving forward.

Another key piece of feedback I’ve received is to be more confident in my work and the products I create. This has motivated me to be more passionate and self-assured about my projects moving forward.

Moving forward, I want to focus on:

1. Proactive Planning: Breaking down larger projects into smaller, daily tasks. I plan to use my calendar more effectively by scheduling dedicated blocks of time for each task and project.
2. Seeking Mentorship: Regularly checking in with teachers for feedback earlier in the process. I aim to strengthen my communication with teachers by actively seeking guidance when needed.
3. Continuous Skill Development: Practicing audio and video production outside of class to support future projects. During the horror film project, I learned new software for video and audio editing. I plan to continue expanding these skills in my free time.

🏆 Proud Moments

Looking back on this year, I’m particularly proud of two achievements:

1. The music for our horror film: I successfully created a soundtrack that effectively conveyed the emotions and themes we aimed to express. This required balancing creative expression with technical skills and collaboration.
2. The scene I personally edited: This allowed me to apply both my technical skills and creative vision. It represents the culmination of my hard work in learning new software and techniques.

These accomplishments stand out because they showcase my growth in both technical skills and creative problem-solving. They also demonstrate my ability to work effectively as part of a team while also taking individual initiative.

Final Reflections 🔥

If I had to summarize my learning so far this year in one word, it would be balance. Whether it’s balancing school and work, creativity and discipline, or research and action — I’ve learned that staying on track isn’t about getting everything perfect. It’s about adjusting, reflecting, and moving forward.

As I approach graduation, I feel more equipped to navigate the next steps — not because I’ve figured everything out, but because I know how to manage the moving pieces. I’ve developed crucial skills in time management, collaboration, and creative problem-solving that will serve me well in future academic and professional endeavours.

I’m looking forward to continuing this journey and refining my VMV along the way. My experiences this year have shown me the importance of being proactive, seeking feedback, and continuously developing my skills. As I move forward, I’m excited to tackle new challenges and further develop my ability to balance various aspects of my life.

I invite any questions or feedback on my progress and am looking forward to discussing how I can continue to grow and improve in the coming months.