“I don’t really know where to start. I lived in Allendale for my whole life, and then I found out I was moving over here. One day, in seventh grade, my mom told me I had to shadow someone. I woke up one morning and got ready to go to school, but not my school. I went to Central Middle, and I toured with a girl named Sydney Kushak. We walked around. I met a lot of people, and it was kind of scary because I didn’t know anybody. I had to eat lunch there, so I sat by Sydney. Then I walked around, saw and met all the teachers, and then I left. I didn’t really have much of a decision. My dad works over here, and we already had the house in this district, so my parents said, ‘This is the school you’re going to go to.a�� I didn’t really get a choice of whether I wanted to go here or not; it doesn’t really bother me going here, so it wasn’t bad. I like it. It’s fine; it’s school.

It’s a lot different in Allendale: not many people are as competitive, the sports are a lot better over here, the education is a lot better. It’s not like Allendale’s was bad, it just wasn’t as good, I guess.

I don’t love school, but this school doesn’t bother me. [My life if I’d gone to Allendale] wouldn’t be different, I’d just have different friends.

I don’t want to sound cocky, but I really didn’t have trouble making friends. Sydney came over to my house either on a Friday or a Saturday, and my neighbor, Jason Downey, had a party, and Sydney and I were invited. We went, and she introduced me to some people. After that, she went to a camp for two weeks in the summer, and some of the girls I had met invited me to go to Watermark or something, and then we had sleepovers. I became pretty close with them and became friends with their friends.

It was quite the experience.”

(Freshman)