A brand new school year brings more freshmen to M-A, ready to take on whatever high school throws at them. As they adjust to a bigger campus and get used to their daily routine, here is how some freshmen feel about their first couple of weeks.
Kian Motamedi
After his first few weeks as a freshman, Kian Motamedi, who went to Hillview Middle School already says he knows what he’s doing. Although he says it took him a couple of days to adjust to M-A’s faster pace, now that he knows how to get to his classes, Motamedi is already looking into his future as a Bear. That includes his excitement for swimming under the head coach for both the boys and the girls swim team, Bruce Smith. “I have a connection with Bruce,” he said. On an academic note, Motamedi says he appreciates Life Skills. “It is really insightful to learn things that are not academic, but it [will] help you in the future,” he said. Motamedi appreciates that there is a class at M-A that helps prepare you for life after high school.
Sofia Pravahan
After graduating from Hillview Middle School, stepping into M-A feels less scary than Sodia Pravahan expected because of the familiar faces she sees in Pride Hall. “I got to see all my friends from last year,” she said. “My teachers [are] super chill, so I had a lot of fun.” Her highlight so far is Latin class with Alan Eaton. “I have a bunch of friends in that class, and Mr. Eaton is the goat,” she said. Pravahan is looking forward to the rest of the year with Mr. Eaton.
Antuan Stinson
High school was a plot twist for Antuan Stinson, whose transition from Beachwood Middle School’s five-class schedule to M-A wasn’t at all what he was expecting. Managing a new set of classes was an adjustment, but he eventually found a routine between the classroom and the football field. Outside of the classroom, Stinson is excited for sports. “I’m playing football right now and I feel pretty good about it,” he said, “My favorite class is P.E. It’s like a little break from the other classes.” When it comes to academics, Amy Law’s Algebra 1 class takes the top spot. “I feel like she really cares about my grade,” he said, “She checks in with me and helps me with my work all the time.”
Tara Rai
Coming from Hillview, Tara Rai was immediately excited for what M-A has to offer. “There’s more things to do and cubs are more normalized,” she said. She wasted no time getting involved, as she already joined the Care Bears Club and the girls water polo team. “I made new friends, and the coaches are really good. It’s a fun sport,” she said. When she’s not in the pool, Rai has a big friend group. “It was easy finding a table group because I make friends quick.” she said, “It’s a big table so if I lose friends, I can just sit around it.” While she enjoys P.E., Life Skills stands out to her as the most different class from Hillview because it covers topics she hasn’t seen before. The rest of the semester has plenty of events to look forward to. “I’m excited for homecoming,” Rai said.
Esme Garrett
Hillview graduate Esme Garrett had to quickly adapt to the scale of M-A’s campus. During her first couple days, she was a little bit confused. “I was a bit disoriented but I got the hang of it,” she said. Beyond the size, she noticed how welcoming the school felt and how much school spirit M-A had. “It was really fun,” she said. Her favorite part of her day is French class, where she loves the upbeat energy.
Johnathan Morales
Another new face is Johnathan Morales, a graduate of KIPP Middle School. The biggest difference Morales noticed between his old school and M-A is the people. “They’re friendly and more caring about others,” he said. Even after just a few weeks at M-A, he can already sense the profound generosity of spirit the school has. His favorite class right now is Biology because of the friends he has made in it. Morales is undecided about trying a sport this year, but if he were it would likely be basketball.
Vishal Murlidar
Vishal Murlidar is a freshman with a fiery passion for music. His orchestra class with Bill Flaherty has stood out as a clear favorite. “The class is much bigger and much more advanced [than the one I took at Hillview],” he said. He is also excited for sports to start. “I’m looking forward to playing tennis in the spring.”
