On May 22, the future freshmen of Lakeland High School toured the building. As students lined up in the library, gym, and hallways, their eyes widened with excitement and fear.
Walking around the building, talking to upperclassmen about clubs, sports, and advice. Each one is hoping to find their place in the school and open up to new opportunities.
“I think it is really important that we do these things because it gives the upcoming class a sense of what it is going to be like next year and relieves a bit of anxiety they may have,” Lakeland Vice Principal Shannon LaFountaine said.
Opportunities like this expose students to the atmosphere of high school and give them a brief idea of what it may look like for them.
With this tour, clubs set up stations in the library to give a bit more information to the students interested in joining.
There was a club there for almost every interest, like drama, business, creative writing, games, FFA, etc.
Students got the chance to look at designed posters and photos of each activity and engage with members of the clubs for more information.
“Speech and Stagecraft look interesting to me, I am excited to do more things and have more experiences in my interests,” Upcoming Freshman Elizabeth Comstock said.
These clubs open up a whirlwind of opportunities for students and make them a part of who they are through high school.
While some of these clubs may be just for fun, others use them to get more experience in what they want to pursue after high school.
These clubs filled students with information and hope for the next year.
After chatting with current students about clubs and interests for a while, it was time for teams to head into the auxiliary gym, where they got a quick introduction and talk from Lakeland Athletic Director Matt Neff and Lakeland coach Mike Schroeder.
Plenty of tables, like the ones in the library, were decorated for all the sports teams and filled with coaches and players to give more information on how to get into the sport and what to expect for the season.
These sports tables help students to see coaches and the team for the first time and just get an overall vibe of what the atmosphere may feel like next year. It also informs them on when to show up to practices and what they can do during the summer to grow their skill and try to secure a spot on the team.
After hearing the rundown from Neff and Schroeder, students got to go and talk to the tables to learn more from others.
“I am excited to go into high school, and look forward to participating in sports like Golf and Track. I also got some good information from players on what to expect and how to sign up,” Upcoming Freshman Dominic Wike said.
After talking with the tables and learning all they could about their sports of interest, students made their way over to the main gym for an advice talk from the student council.
Here, the students from each grade of the student council got to talk about their high school experience and give their words of advice to the upcoming class.
After each student finished giving their advice and words of wisdom, the underclassmen got to ask questions of their own.
Each one is getting clear answers of what to expect and even just general advice from the ones they have looked up to for so many years.
“I think it is important we do this because it is scary going into high school, and it gives them a little more reassurance answering their questions and showing them what to expect,” Junior Class President Piper Schneider said.
Each one of these students with lingering questions of “what ifs” and “how tos” got to get it off their chest and finally be handed all the answers that come with moving on.
It is scary going into high school, but also an exciting part of growing up and moving on. Thinking of all the things that could be done throughout the four years and what will become at the end.
“The high school is way bigger than the middle school, and it gives me a bit of nerves, but I am still pretty excited,” Upcoming Freshman Kinley Goertlar said.
While it is an exciting time and the feeling of being ready to move on creeps up on these students, the fear of the unknown still creeps up.
Moving on to high school feels unreal. The first couple of weeks feel like more of a fever dream than anything else.
Wandering the halls trying to find new classes, meeting new people and friends, adapting to the atmosphere of high school and the different teaching methods, it is all one big journey filled with fear and excitement.
“It seems scary, but I am excited to be a part of it and cannot wait to see what comes of it,” upcoming freshman Kiya Backman said.
With each upcoming student that walked the halls of Lakeland High School today were words of excitement, fits of laughter, and minds filled with hopes and dreams, hoping to be fulfilled throughout their next four years.
As the class of 2025 heads out and the class of 2029 heads in, there is only one phrase to say to both of them: good luck.
