As the school year comes to an end, the incoming freshmen who will be attending West next year are being welcomed and introduced to the school. Toured around campus by students of all grade levels, these 8th-graders are able to catch a glimpse of high school life. This opportunity was opened up through NHS, giving many students the chance to sign up. Sophomore Taylor Porter was one of these tour guides, and the experience allowed her to see things from a new perspective.
“This benefitted me because it opened my eyes and helped me realize ‘oh, when I was a freshman, the [upperclassmen] really helped me see the school and become less nervous and more welcomed,’ and then I got to do that for [the incoming freshmen],” Porter said.
Touring these students also allowed Porter to think back on her experiences as an 8th-grader, realizing that she now had the opportunity to provide support for anxious students that felt similarly to how she had when she was entering high school.
“This tour made me reflect on my 8th-grade self by realizing that everyone feels the same about coming into highschool and everyone is anxious about it and having people to make you feel less anxious and more comfortable is really beneficial,” Porter said.
Another tour guide, sophomore Savannah Thrasher, enjoyed the opportunity to practice her leadership skills and work with a younger age group.
“My favorite experience from this was being able to guide the students. I like being seen as a mentor and this was just a great opportunity to give some of my ‘highschool wisdom’ to younger students,” Thrasher said.
Reflecting further on the students she toured, Thrasher was able to make some comparisons between them and her 8th-grade self.
“This tour definitely made me compare how I acted in 8th grade compared to the people I toured. Many of the kids seemed a lot more confident and less timid than I was in 8th grade; the students were also very comfortable with asking questions and I’m glad they were able to do that because I definitely couldn’t when I was their age,” Thrasher said.
Being able to reflect on her younger self allowed her to compare the different choices she made in freshman and sophomore year, and she used these ideas to teach the incoming freshmen.
“I wish someone had told me when I was in 8th grade how important having lists and schedules is for keeping track of homework assignments. I’ve been able to know what I need to get done much better since I’ve started using a list. Another piece of advice I wish I’d been given is to branch out in my activities. I do it a lot more now that I’m in 10th grade but last year I felt that all of my extracurricular activities weren’t very diverse and I wasn’t getting the interactions with new people and the opportunity to make new friends that I have now,” Thrasher said.
Campbell Lamb, another sophomore tour guide, felt that the experience benefited her as she was able to help the incoming students and answer any questions they had.
“I had a very positive experience. My favorite part was hearing about what the eighth graders were excited for and what they were more nervous about. It was also cool to be able to share some of my favorite classes or memories from freshman year,” Lamb said.
As these tour guides reflect on their own transitions into high school, they are able to inspire a future freshman class by practicing their leadership skills and giving supporting advice, allowing them to feel more prepared for their high school journeys.
“I wish someone would have told my eighth grade self that highschool isn’t as scary as it seems and everything always works out in the end,” Lamb said.
