Room AY311. 7:53 a.m. Aug. 26, the first day of high school begins. After spending almost half an hour delayed in advisory, freshman Allison Bao heads to her first class where English teacher Sarah Martin’s mannequin greets her with a note attached stating that it must not be asked about. With that first impression of ninth grade English class, Bao’s high school career just began.
Bao’s first few days have been filled with the standard reading of syllabuses and tediousness of introductions, making high school less than thrilling so far. One class does stand out to her though: geometry.
“Mrs. Sykes is always positive and tries to make jokes,” Bao said. “She’s fun.”
Bao also appreciates the higher level of freedom and independence given to high school students, despite the increased responsibility.
“In high school it’s more laid back,” Bao said. “I expect high school to make me more mature and teach me to handle my time better and prepare me for college and other things in life.”
In addition to her standard core classes and typical freshman electives like communication applications, Bao involves herself in a number of extracurricular activities, which include playing setter for the freshman volleyball team, a position that makes her in charge of the offense. She’s also a member of Student Council and cheers at Cheer Texas as a base (bases form the foundation of a stunt; they are the ones who do the lifting and throwing).
“She loves cheer and volleyball,” junior Jessica Bao says of her sister. “I think she’s gonna do really well as long as she has that passion for it, and that will just keep her dedicated.”
Overall, Bao looks forward to the rest of the school year, as well as the rest of high school. The prospects of getting pestered by her sister for ice cream at lunch and experiencing quintessential high school moments like getting lost on the way to classes are just the beginning of what are hopefully four interesting, memorable, and special years.
“I have a positive outlook on high school, because high school is supposed to be fun,” Bao said. “It’ll be stressful, but overall it’ll be a great experience.”
