My sophomore year at the high school started with me freaking out because the doors leading to the main hallway weren’t opening. I was so confused because I swore there was a hallway beyond those doors when I toured the school earlier that summer. However, this fear was quickly resolved when I asked someone and figured out the doors open at 7:45 a.m.

It had been four days full of stress and anxiety;I didn’t know anyone, but I had a light pointing directly at me being the new student. Being friendless at lunch was probably the part that stuck with me the most. 

While it does sound corny, one incident changed my situation. I grew tired of sitting alone at lunch and wanted to make a friend. I was looking for someone who seemed like they would welcome me with open arms. I walked up to this girl and I remember her giving me the dirtiest look. I quickly changed my target and went to a girl eating by herself. Kasi Tune told me I was welcome to sit with her, but she was also waiting on her friends. I weighed my options and decided to sit down next to her. The next thing I knew, I saw a guy walking up laughing obnoxiously. Next to him was a girl with curly hair and the sweetest smile. I knew I had made the right choice deciding to sit here. 

Nathan Montgomery and Mone’t Edwards, along with Tune, automatically made me feel like I belonged. I felt like I could relate to Montgomery when he shared a story about how he knocked a kid down in Taekwondo; we shared our destain of small children. I never considered myself making friends similar to those I had when attending Bonner Springs High School.  

Getting to know others didn’t come easy to me. I had to work on the relationships with my peers twice as hard as everyone else since students at Spring Hill had known each other since they were children. I still struggle to keep up with people, and I often feel like I am two steps behind everyone else. 

I know what it feels like to be alone and desperate for even basic daily conversation. I never once considered friendship a privilege until I didn’t have it easily accessible. Whenever I notice someone who is struggling to talk to others, or high schoolers who are trying to fit in, it breaks my heart. I know exactly what it feels like to be alone in a school of over 1,000 people. 

One thing that helped me was being in a club. SPUB has forever changed my life. Not only has interviewing people helped me overcome the new student anxiety, but the people in SPUB are also so kind. Joining a club was a great way for me to meet new people and discover something I really enjoy. 

Time is one of the most crucial factors in making long lasting friendships. Letting people trust and open up to me was so important. The only way to get others to open up to me was giving them time. Relationships aren’t something that can be fast tracked. 

The progress I’ve made in this past year has absolutely shocked me. However, I can’t take full credit for this; the school atmosphere here is completely different from my previous school. The people that I’ve met are kind, thoughtful, and caring. 

My sophomore year has taught me more than I could have never imagined or hoped for. To everyone who has made that possible, thank you. And to all those who don’t quite fit in yet, trust me, it will get better. I can now say that I am proud to be a Bronco.