In my sophomore year of High School life crumbled around me. My parents separated in a bitter dispute, my older sister was sent to rehab for chronic drug and behavioral issues, and I was yanked out of the only High School I knew.
The school was my safe haven. An institution I loved attending. I welcomed the small class sizes, which provided an opportunity for more intimate relationships with my professors. My circle of friends was my safety net; always accepting of my family drama and providing support for tumultuous times. School was the one place I could sink myself into my studies and forget about the problems plaguing my home life.
But in 11th grade that all changed. I was abruptly uprooted from the only high school I had known and transferred to the local public school. My parents could no longer afford to finance my private education. I went from a school with 400 students, 12 pupils per class to a 2,500-student body with 30 plus students per class.
It was not a smooth transition. It was emotional and painful to be transferred to a new High School at such a trying time in my life. I didn’t know if I would succeed both academically and emotionally. The pressures of being a 16 year old teenager coupled with my parent’s marriage crumbling and having to maneuver a new school, at times felt overwhelming for me.
Now as a senior I look back at the past three years and feel proud of what I have accomplished. I not only began to segue nicely into my new school, I succeeded well in the classroom and made new friends. Being confronted with a challenging situation may seem intolerable at the moment, but I learned that with hard work, commitment and a strong support system, I was able to whether this school transition. I may even be a stronger person having had the experience, than had I not had to struggle with this change.