If you're being hailed as a hero in the US and you aren't a politician....

Run. Do not walk away, run. Society is absolving itself of caring for you after the inevitable sacrifice of your health and/or sanity.

Pick something to get good at, then really work to get really good at it. The younger the better. But be focused. Ideally something you can make money with.

Be the change you want to see in the world.

Be true to yourself and don't be afraid to say how you feel. That's what it means to be human; no one gets extra points for hiding it.

Warning: This is not liscense to reject objective reality.

Edit: would like to add that when I say objective reality I mean a shared version of history/current events; appreciation for science and the scientific theory; appreciation for the mysterious and unknown; and appreciation for basic human rights.

Don't grow up super religious and become a conservative operative on Capitol Hill for 7 years. Just trust me, it's not as good as it sounds.

Don’t date someone through high school into college. You are young, you don’t know yourself, and you will change a lot. Also, there’s thousands of new people to meet in college and, if you’re already taken, you won’t know where a conversation after class could take you. Be free and experience life.

You can grow and change and be better.
Accept that you did wrong, recognize what you did and why, think about what you've learned, tell yourself how you're going to do better next time.
Grow. Change. Aspire to be better.