After my first day at Wootton, I was certain that I would hate my next three years. The hallways were unfamiliar and unrecognizable, compared to the red and black hallways that I had known at Quince Orchard. I felt like a freshmen all over again.
I grew up a minute walking distance away from QO. Each fall, like clockwork, hearing the stadium come alive for Friday night football games as a kid got me incredibly excited for my four years of high school as a Cougar. I couldn’t wait to be a part of what I thought was the school’s rich and vibrant culture. However, like most things you build up in your head, my reality didn’t live up to the hype. The classes were much harder than middle school and I honestly just wasn’t happy. After an enormously difficult freshman year, it became abundantly clear that I needed a change of scenery.
That’s when my parents and I landed on Wootton. It was the third closest high school to me, but stood out to us for its academic achievements and inviting school community. While my first day of sophomore year was less than ideal, it only took a few weeks for me to love the school. I found my group of friends and I looked forward to going to school each morning (a massive contrast to the senioritis I feel now). Joining Model UN and the golf team also helped me feel more at home in the Wootton community. It was around this time that I learned that unfamiliarity isn’t always a bad thing.
By my junior year, I was fully settled into the school and pushing myself to engage in everything that Wootton had to offer. So, in the fall I threw myself into playing flag football. While it was a completely new sport and I had only ever picked up a soccer ball, basketball and golf ball, I was thrilled to step out of my comfort zone. This time, my enthusiasm paid off and I ended up loving it. It was because of this experience that I found my affection for uncertainty and freshness.
After stumbling into room 242 with a friend winter of my junior year, I was inspired to put Intro to Journalism on my senior year schedule. My newfound interest in change made this an exciting experience. As someone who isn’t totally sure what they want to do in the future, I was hoping to open the door to a possibility and I believe that I did. During my time as a member of Common Sense, I’ve learned that it requires you to step away from the traditional English writing format that has been drilled into your head from an early age. I saw this as a challenge to improve my writing, instead of an obstacle (although I had a hard time dropping my Oxford commas at first). Being a part of newspaper has truly improved both my writing skills and my ability to take risks in ways I didn’t think was possible. I hope that this isn’t the end of my journalism career and that it’s still prevalent in the next chapter of my life.
To Mrs. Starr: Thank you. I wholeheartedly believe that students are a reflection of their many teachers and I’m really glad that I had the pleasure of having you as one of mine. You made me a better student and writer. It’s evident that you love your job and enjoy what you do. I think this makes the world of a difference in improving a classroom environment. While my time at Common Sense was short, I’m really going to miss greeting you at the door each morning.
As the clock winds down until I cross the stage, say goodbye to my friends and move into my Indiana dorm room, I can’t help but be eternally grateful for the life that Wootton and Common Sense have given me.
