In six months, she will need to make a decision that could shape her future. Right now, she is struggling to make sense of how she even feels.

Meanwhile, the ground beneath her is shifting. Her school has just announced a return to the traditional academic streaming system, where students are placed into rigid science (IPA) or social studies (IPS) tracks starting in 10th grade. It’s a reversal of the more flexible Kurikulum Merdeka (Merdeka Curriculum), which had allowed students to mix subjects based on their strengths and interests.

But beyond tests and curriculum changes, Joy is grappling with something deeper: identity. She has spent years memorizing formulas, not asking herself questions like: What am I good at? What do I care about? How do I adapt when AI is changing everything?

And the hardest question of all: Who am I?

By the time she finds the answer, it might already be too late.

If you are the parent of a high schooler, this might be what your child is carrying silently—stress about the future, confusion about what comes next and pressure to make decisions they barely understand.

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