By Ava Stroshane
As the school year starts to come into the 4th quarter many are starting to reflect on the events of last year and how it has continued to lead us to where we are now. Because of the rapid spread of the Coronavirus pandemic during the last school year, schools were shut down after the time off for spring break and all learning turned virtual. Seniors missed their graduation and students were unable to see their teachers again before taking their next step, whatever that may have been. Even though we are still amidst a deadly pandemic, counties have managed to reopen schools and allow for face-to-face learning and students have the ability to participate in some events that were discarded last year such as graduation and the seasons of sporting events but in a different way than witnessed in previous years. Now, getting closer to the end of the school year, we approach the same question asked last year, this time with a different perspective. After this year is over and all is said and done, what will next year bring and where do we go from here?
Jada Hu is currently an 8th grader at Avalon Middle School. Next year she will be a part of the new freshman class of Timber Creek. Hu is excited and nervous about the new experiences and challenges that she believes high school will bring and is ready to do her best to tackle those new challenges. Compared to middle school, high school offers more specific opportunities for students to be able to find what their interests are and how they want that to be incorporated into what they do when they are older. In the case of many freshman’s first year, this ability to choose classes specific to the interests of students may not be as apparent as students may not know what they want to do. However, there are many instances where the opposite is true and students are able to start preparing for their higher education right from day one. Hu is a part of the latter students. “I am planning on taking biomedical studies…[it] will prepare me for what I want to do in the future, which is become a doctor…After high school, I plan to attend a college that specializes in medical studies.” Hu is planning on using the resources provided to her by the school to help her achieve her long term goals. By being ready to take her next step of going into high school next year and moving from her current position into one that will allow her to experience new opportunities, Hu is able to give her perspective and outlook on what next year may bring and how we are going to move forward.
Similar to Hu in 8th grade, 9th graders are bringing along with them a new outlook to what next year may bring and how their next step can have an impact on future steps taken as well. Being a part of the freshman class for this “bleh” year, Natalie Craiker feels as though she has missed out on several activities and opportunities in her classes, an opinion shared by most others. For Craiker and others, the next step after this year will be more complicated due to the pandemic and the effects of it on how schooling has been arranged. “I know my teachers did all that they could, it was just really hard to learn online so I don’t necessarily feel prepared for my core classes next year just because learning online for half the year was really hard.” With the future of schooling unknown based on whether or not students and teachers will be vaccinated by next school year, going forward from this year to the next may look very similar or very different to what our current situation is. However, Craiker takes a step back like Hu to look at the bigger picture of her future. Next year Craiker is going to take early childhood education 2, a continuation of early childhood education 1 to help her reach her goal of becoming a special education teacher. Craiker answers the question of where to go from here by looking at her overall next steps. Craiker is aware that there will be many challenges faced for the rest of this year and next but also knows that education and opportunities for students will continue to be given even as we face hardships.
As 8th graders and 9th graders take a look at the classes they take to help them on their path to a career, sophomores and juniors start to look at colleges and the steps they will take beyond high school. Camila Barito is a junior at Timber Creek and has been making preparations for her senior and college years. When asked about how she thinks her senior year will differ from others, Barito responded, “I do think being a senior will be different because more things are aimed towards us and it just feels good for it to be the last year of high school.” Barito has also been active in preparing for college by taking the SAT and completing tours and virtual conferences of possible colleges she wants to go to. Barito plans to go to a four year college in Florida and get a job next year to start experiencing the work life and to start seeing what her future may hold for her. Even though sophomores are considered underclassmen, next year they will be a part of the junior class and are encouraged to start participating in programs like Scoir or RaiseMe to help them find colleges that fit their preferences. Moving forward, both sophomores and juniors are seeing bigger changes to what they can expect from their futures including college applications, tours, and a look at what they want to major in or start their career in.
Last year was a year full of hardships and challenges for seniors as schools shut down. Graduation turned virtual, and seniors never got any real closure before moving on to college or whatever they chose to do. This year is different now that schools are back face to face and more vaccines are being rolled out throughout the state. Orange county will be holding a physical graduation at the Amway Center and seniors are getting somewhat of a more normal experience. Where do we go from here is a question probably most heavily weighted on seniors because high school is no longer something they will have to deal with. College tours and applications are something that they have been working on for some time now and the SAT is a thing of the past. “I am definitely planning on going to college, and am very excited to hear back from all the schools I applied to,” says Madison Chubb. Chubb is a part of the senior class at Timber Creek and is very excited for what her next step is beyond high school. “I feel that I am very ready to move on to the next step in my life, I am very excited to see what my future holds.” Chubb plans on pursuing a degree in Aeronautical Engineering and someday wants to work to innovate jet engines. Chubb has planned out what she wants to do and what her next steps are and is ready to move forward from this year and from the possible limitations that can be felt from high school. Moving forward, seniors are looking ahead to their next steps and are taking the biggest leap this school year and as they continue on their journey, they lead the way for many of us to see where we will go ourselves.
Overall, with the challenges that this year has faced, moving forward may seem like a tough journey, but whatever happens next will be full of purpose and planning and will try to keep everyone’s interests in mind. As this year’s senior class moves out and a new freshman class moves in, life at school may look a little different for many students and hoped by many to include more opportunities and activities that students can be a part of. The answer to the question of where we go from here is as simple as the word forward. Our school will continue to move forward as well as our students and teachers and whatever challenges faced will be met with hard work and much determination.
