Today is the first day of school for the 2023-2024 school year, Shelby, Sydney, and Kylie are all embarking on new adventures in their academic journeys. Shelby, a spunky 6th grader, is excited to be finally starting junior high. Sydney, a slightly nervous 9th grader, was stepping into the intimidating world of high school. Kylie, an experienced 11th grader, was returning to school with a mixture of confidence and dread.

As Shelby walked through the doors of the JH, she couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement mixed with a touch of anxiety. The halls seemed endless, filled with older kids who look like giants compared to her. She wasn’t going to let them intimidate her. With her trusty backpack filled with colorful supplies, she was ready to conquer JH like a boss. Meanwhile, Sydney stood in front of the towering building that housed CRHS. She took a deep breath and reminded herself that she had survived JH and can handle anything high school can possibly throw at her. As she entered the bustling halls filled with teenagers chatting away about summer adventures and fashion trends, Sydney couldn’t help to fill a bit overwhelmed. She quickly found solace in knowing that she had three more years to navigate this wild journey called high school.

And then there’s Kylie – the seasoned HS veteran of 11th grade. As she strolled into school with an air of nonchalance, Kylie couldn’t help but to smirk at her sister and all the other freshmen around her. She knew the drill: juggle homework, extracurricular activities, and teenage drama. Deep down inside, Kylie felt a pang of nerves as she realized that this year would be crucial for college applications, shaping her future, and that talk she has been waiting to talk to her counselor about – joining the military to train dogs possibly.

I am still waiting to hear how their day went…