Desiree Panlilio

Desiree Panlilio is a Teen Life Coach and the Owner of Encouraging Teens, LLC. With over three years of experience, she specializes in helping teens and young adults define roles, set goals, develop healthy academic and personal habits, grow in leadership potential, and create their life paths. Desiree holds a BSN in Nursing from The University of Victoria and an MA in Human Services Counseling with a concentration in Life Coaching from Liberty University.

wikiHow's Editorial ProcesswikiHow partners with over 1000+ experts from a wide range of fields to ensure our content is accurate and based on well-established research and testimony. Content Managers conduct interviews and work closely with each expert to review information, answer reader questions, and add credible advice. Learn more about our editorial process and why millions of readers trust wikiHow.


Forum Comments (10)

How can one make high school something to the fullest? What was some of the best times you had?
I would encourage you to take advantage of any high school experience you are interested in, or may even push you out of what you would normally do. Why not join a running club, or try out for high jump in high school? Embracing these new experiences builds your confidence that you are capable of more than you realize. It allows you to try something that may lead to something you enjoy, or may lead to a fun story to share in the future. Either way, experiences in high school are about expanding who you are, challenging yourself to grow and stretch to keep pushing what your unlimited potential is. Gaining the confidence now to try take part in those high school experiences will help you to take advantage of experiences you may be offered later in your career and life.
How do i talk to this guy at school?
What a great opportunity. If he is new to school and you only see him at lunch, go sit with him. Walk up, introduce yourself, and start with something like, "I see you are new to the school". Tell him your name and one thing about yourself. "Hi I am ____. I have seen you in the cafeteria, and I realize you are new to the school. Mind if I join you for lunch?" Tell him things like, "I really enjoy _____", or "What is your favorite sport? What classes do you have?" You can connect over a sport, a class, or a teacher. Creating a new friendship is always a positive, and who knows what happens next!
I don't know whether i should end my friendship or not
Friendships are tough, especially when you have been friends for so long. Have you had an honest conversation with your friend? Tell her that you do not share the same rebellious feelings. That you value your education, value the opportunity to learn. That you want to be her friend, but your values and beliefs do not allow you to be late for school, rebel against others, and not create the future of success that you want for yourself. The other part of the conversation is to ask your friend why the behavior has changed. Don't ask why once, but ask why three times. Has something changed so that your friend has changed their behavior? Friends hold each other accountable, encourage one another, and never make one go against their values or boundaries. I have written a book on Teen Friendship which would be helpful. Here is the link.
My friend is trying to get the attention of my crush and wants my crush to like her
The question you have to answer is, is she your friend? How do you define what a friend is? What do you expect from a friend? Why is she your friend? Answering those questions will help you determine if she is a good friend or bad friend. I did write a book on teen friendship, which could be great to take a look at for situations like this. You can take a look here if you're interested!
I can’t stand the kids at my school. How do I not go insane.
Those are some big words and big feelings. The other part is that it is rather vague. What are they doing that is annoying? Could you simply ask them to stop or walk away when their behavior is not reflecting your values? If these people are your friends, are they sharing the same values as you, encouraging you, and lifting you up? If not, is it time to find a new friend group?
See more comments

Q&A Comments (35)

See more comments

Co-authored Articles (46)

See more articles