New beginnings… they either make us or break us or break us. The idea of having a set time in our lives after which everything will be different is horrifying, especially for us young people who are still struggling to have a place in society. Every year within our school, among our peers, almost one hundred students start anew as freshmen. All of us take the story of that transition and its lasting effects with us through their four years at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. Today, let us take advantage of this opportunity to hear those stories and highlight the beauties and pitfalls of being a “freshie”, as they are commonly referred to, in our school.
Karen Thorwart, a current senior at OLSH, came into the school as a freshman in 2010. For her, the transition was smoothed by the attendance of her older sister Renee, who was a sophomore at the time. However, she struggled with having no classes with any of her six friends from St. Joseph’s elementary school. A lot of students like Karen are uncomfortable with new environments, and even though opportunities such as the sleepover retreats, big brothers and sisters programs, and meet the class night have always existed, the pressure to make connections with peers in a short period of time can be overwhelming.
For current Juniors, Joshua Baumgartner and Ryan Dabat, these connections came naturally after finding activities at OLSH in which they excelled in Josh’s and Ryan’s case, football. In a written interview, Ryan Dabat reminisced over his first season, telling the story of his memorable block during a game against Laurel. Working together with OLSH alumni, Isaiah Neeley, Ryan executed a play that allowed Isaiah to get a 15 yard run. He suffered a concussion as a result; however, he recovered and is to this day a valued member of our school’s football team.
Other current students such as Ivy Nowakowski (Junior) and Nathan Walters (Freshman) found their place on stage here at OLSH. Freshmen in our school’s chorus and musical theater programs are always welcomed on and behind stage. For students who struggled to excel on the field, or wanted variety in their activities, these clubs and electives offered the perfect environment for success. Other activities that have worked wonders for incoming freshmen include, but are not limited to Art club, spirit committee, WCHR, and forensics.
While all of the students participating in my survey commented that they were thrilled to make accepting friends over their first few weeks, many (even those who had incoming friends from middle school or older siblings at OLSH) included that they experienced a lot of stress over what kind of impressions they were making. Hearing this resonated with me because I myself am a freshman here at OLSH this year, thus the inspiration to write this article and investigate how the experience has changed over the years. It is very comforting to hear that I am not alone in these worries.
To conclude this piece, it seems appropriate to share my story of my freshman year with you readers. After all the best way to encourage students to open up with each other about this difficult transition is to lead by example. I came into OLSH this year relatively alone friend wise, but very optimistic. My brother, Jacob Dickey is a junior here and I had had my heart set on coming to this school since way before he decided to attend. I had high hopes for finally being at a place where “unique” was a compliment, however while I was not at all disappointed, I did underestimate the amount of stress the transition would bring with it.
Starting over can feel very isolating, even when the new friends you have made and teachers you have met improve your life tenfold. It is also intimidating to know you are at the bottom of the totem pole and everything you do will be a first. My advice to next year’s incoming freshmen, and those in the years following will be this; even when you get locked out of your locker, go to the wrong lunch, fail a test or embarrass yourself in a class, you are not alone because generations of lower classmen before you made all the same mistakes and are better for it. Talk to people, hear their stories, and find a place on field or in a club where you are valued. Every single one of you is important and is loved here at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart High School.