Freshmen reminisce about their first year

Freshmen reminisce about their first year

The class of 2026 is wrapping up freshmen year. How did they feel about their first year of high school?

Olivia Garcia said the year went pretty quickly. “I think I speak for everyone when I say that the year has really flown by,” she said. “While it can be super exciting to get out of school and have a few months to ourselves I know we are all excited to see what next year holds.”

The academic demands of high school life were an adjustment for many freshmen, but they enjoyed many of their classes. “School definitely was more difficult than I was used to, but my friends balanced it out. I really enjoyed what we read in English 1 this year, more than I thought I would,” said Savannah McDonnell.

Grace Meyer echoed McDonnell’s sentiments about academics. “Juggling the stress of the new environment on top of grades and having higher expectations set for me, [caused some] stress.”

Ella Sims said things went smoothly for the most part: “My first year of high school was pretty ok. It was rough adapting to things that are different, but overall it went pretty good.”

“It was okay, lots of work but it was fun. Some people could have been nicer but other than that it was great. Next year I think it would be nicer to have the work more spread out,” said Adisen Lilly.

Ryan Richie echoed similar sentiments: “My first high school year, 2022, was interesting. There were ups and downs. There were smiles and frowns. But we have to appreciate the good things, you know? (say you know, ok?)”

Arayah Gallup said the greater individual freedom was a welcome change. “I feel the first year of high school was really intimidating…but it was a good change for more opportunities and freedom.”

Along with that increased freedom comes more personal responsibility. The importance of making good choices about friends is something that became apparent to students. “Always being aware of who you are surrounding yourself with is something very important to do. I feel it made my freshman year much easier,” said Merkenna Phillips.

Some found that being involved beyond the classroom had huge benefits. “I definitely think being part of drama positively impacted my freshman year. It made me more confident in my skin, it also helped me find real friends that I will always be able to trust and count upon,” said Alliy Hugghins.

Many freshmen have already started thinking about how to approach their next three years of high school, and getting more involved is on their list for the future.

“I’d get more involved in school activities, [and] like I’d show up to more club meetings,” said Sims.

“I think something I would change is trying to be more outgoing,” said Gallup.