Dear Wootton Students

Looking back on my time at our high school, I have gained insight and experience on what makes our school so special. Wootton is unique to other high schools in our area due to our strong and extensive community. The powerful community has helped shape me into who I am today. As I reflect on the past four years and experience my final days as a high school student, I will leave you with some advice.

Firstly, the best thing a student can do is get involved. What does this mean? Getting involved at our school is not only about joining clubs, but immersing yourself in the activities you join. Don’t join clubs, committees, and specialized classes to just fill your resume, join these extra circulars that excite you and put time and effort into them.

Starting off, my freshman year I was overjoyed with the club fair and joined an abundance of clubs. This made it extremely hard to balance all of the meetings so I made the decision to stay an active member of the clubs that I found the most interesting and aligned with my passions. I chose rather unique clubs that differed from my peers. This was the best thing I did as I tried to branch away from what seemed safe.

I strived to work on my membership in these clubs and aspired to one day take on leadership roles. Soon after attending a plethora of meetings, I became close friends with students in the clubs and started to create my own community.

The community that I built allowed me to learn more about myself as both a student and outside of school. I challenge all the upcoming and current students to join one new club or activity that excites them and challenges their social norms.

Second, I implore all current and upcoming students to get to know their teachers and administrators and form meaningful connections with them. These connections with my teachers formed trust and helped foster my academic success. When I was in need of extra assistance, it was easy to request help because we both valued each other’s time.

Most teachers at Wootton are on your side. There is a common misconception amongst the student body that teachers are out to get their students and want them to do poorly. After getting to know teachers, you can work with them through your grades, which will ultimately help both the student and the teacher. Teachers also value students who make an effort to become familiar with them. My relationships with my teachers have brought me opportunities. I advise students to talk to and build relationships with their teachers.

Third, accept rejection. Rejection is bound to face you. I have faced plenty of rejection during my time at Wootton. Rejection taught me perseverance and formed my go-getter personality. Every rejection I have faced in my life has taught me something different about myself.

In life, without a doubt, everyone will face rejection, so learning how to develop the skills to deal with it while you are still young is key. I challenge everyone to apply for that leadership position, run for student office and set their goals high because fear of rejection should not be what’s stopping you.

Finally, my last word of advice is to embrace your time at Wootton and remember, it’s just high school. When you will look back on your time at Wootton like I am now, the problems and drama that I thought at the moment were substantial, are, in reality, extremely minor. Take high school lightly and make the most of it. Do not dwell on “he said, she said” and separate yourself from the silly drama; it is not worth your time.

Take advantage of your time at Wootton because in the blink of an eye, it’s over. I commend Wootton for being such an amazing way to grow into the person I am today. As I begin my next steps at college, I can safely say that my high school experience was invaluable and I will treasure all of the memories, experiences and opportunities that Wootton gifted me.

Sincerely,
Julia Lvovsky