Written and Photographed by Tatiana Serrano|

On the first day of school, students are excited to get back and reconnect with friends who they haven’t seen all summer. But for these freshmen, that transition was a little tricky and frightening. The Morgan School is fortunate enough to have an incredible program called STEP that helps middle schoolers learn their way around our high school and introduces them to teachers and our community.

Freshmen Courtney Vause and Madeline O’Sullivan expressed how before our program, they were nervous about such a big adjustment. Both Madeline and Rory Smith said that they “didn’t know where anything was except the cafe” and they were “afraid of the upperclassmen.” After STEP, these students were more comfortable with our environment and felt included in student activities which is the purpose of the program’s core: to eliminate stress factors and help students to be more confident.

For some, the adjustment was an exciting process, especially for football player freshman Seamus Stanton. He said, “I think it’s going to be a fun experience coming into high school.” He goes on to talk about how football helped him meet new people and make new friends, especially with the upperclassmen. “All upperclassmen were welcoming and helpful. They taught me how to open a locker which was convenient.”

Student Caroline King also shared that she was “scared and worried about being judged by upperclassmen,” but with the help of our three-day program, she felt more secure in the building. She felt that the upperclassmen were very welcoming, and Caroline was not afraid of being bullied or judged.

Once our freshman stepped foot into the building, they got a taste of how our environment operates. They know they have many people willing to answer questions about classes and locations of the classes.

Ray Swan said, “I had donuts, and everything was extra pumped up. I really enjoyed it!” Students found their way and are ready for their freshman year to bring many opportunities with sports and academics as they head down the road to create memories and adventure.