Laila Palmer, ‘22

September 2018

Entering a new school is always difficult. At least, it always has been for me. I’ve done it four times from first grade to now. I don’t know other students well and feel entirely alone, even when surrounded by people. The worst part is watching people who already know each other talking in clusters. I’ve always felt alien and awkward every time I go to a new school, and the students who had already been at the school for years did nothing to help. They hated the new people that weren’t like them because they didn’t understand them. It’s not like they made an effort to understand them.

I think that this is one of the major ways that BHSEC differs from the majority of schools I’ve been to so far. Everyone is so friendly and respectful of each other (at least in my experience thus far). The upperclassmen inform you of anything you need to know, and the teachers all try their best to make sure your transition into high school is as smooth as possible.

I’ve been to a few different schools in my life thus far, and BHSEC is maybe the only one that actually feels like a community, even for a freshman who feels entirely alien in her new surroundings.