Many of the roles students can play in high school are recurring. Whether you’re the editor of the school paper, the shortstop on the softball team, or the second lead in the school play, someone played that role before you, and someone will play it again when you move on.

So how will you be different while you play the role?

Repeating exactly what’s been done—and how it was done—before is no way to stand out. You are not the same as the person who played this role before, or the person who will play it next. And you’ve probably earned this opportunity by doing what you do particularly well, whether that’s your skill, initiative, work ethic, ability to bring people together, energy, positivity, leadership skills, etc. Bring more of whatever makes you special. Put your personal stamp on it and claim this role as your own. For this tenure, production, or season, play this role like it has never been played before, in a way that it can’t possibly be played again.

You don’t have to do everything differently than it’s been done before—successful people know how to recognize when something works so well that it’s worth repeating unchanged. But they also look for ways to incorporate more of what they do uniquely well. They want to make an impact and leave a legacy, one that honors what came before, excels while they hold the spot, and sets the bar high for whoever comes next.

Playing your roles as only you can play them is the surest way to stand out. You’ll almost certainly feel more pride in what you’re doing. And it’s exactly what colleges look for in applicants.

The roles may be recurring, but there’s only one you.