Hearing the loud mumbles of students talking, I tried not to panic as I walked closer and closer to the red and black striped doors leading to the gym. This was my first day of a new life, new friends and new experiences.

 Moving from Highland to Munster at the start of my eighth grade year was a dramatic change; school was significantly larger and classes were harder. The amount of work and the pacing of lessons was draining my grades—I felt like the odd man out. Everyone knew what to do,where everything was and they knew what to expect. I was confused in most of my classes, and at the same time I saw my grades go from straight A’s to low B’s and C’s. I had a constant fear of failure. But, as the school year continued, I became more comfortable with the teachers and students. I began to ask for help and my grades started to improve. 

While making this transition to Munster, I also had to move swim teams. This was one of the most difficult parts of my move. I loved swimming at Highland, and I had already made relationships with the coaches and my teammates. I was apart of the swim team since I was six, practicing every day after school and every weekend. Despite that my parents thought it was necessary to change teams as I moved schools. I worried that I wouldn’t be fast enough, as I knew that Munster was a great swim team. It was also difficult at first due to my unfamiliarity with the way the coaches liked to coach, but as time went on I got used to it and eventually was improving. 

Munster has given me high expectations to be great. The goals that I met during eighth grade through junior year are goals that I would have never thought I could meet during my time at Highland.