My first day at Carroll, I was 16 going into my junior year. Moving from two hours away, I didn’t know anyone in the area. Carroll was my first opportunity to make friends.

As my sister and I walked up to the building, we couldn’t figure out how to get in. I saw a kid and he showed us to the entrance. I couldn’t tell you what his name was, because that was the one interaction I had with him. As I walked in the door, I saw a group of girls. I walked over to ask how to get to the cafeteria, and they said, ”Just come with us, we’ll show you.” As I walked into the cafeteria I looked for an empty table, and sat down. One of the girls who showed me the cafeteria came over and sat right in front of me. She was really nice and welcoming, and asked to see my roster. Later she said,”We have lunch 4th and English together.” This made the transition to Carroll so easier than I thought.

I get quiet when I am unsure of the people that surround me, so I didn’t talk much in any of my classes. When I got to lunch, I looked for the girl I had met. We got a table with her friends and a couple of other girls. They were all trying to set me up with guys, and I thought it was weird. They wanted to know who I thought was cute. Not knowing what to say, I said, “ I just got here, I haven’t really noticed anyone.” They were welcoming to me despite that, and I had hope for my new life here. I was grateful for the people that came into my life, because you learn and grow from every relationship.