Violetta Durañona couldn’t find her classroom on the first day of school. Anxiety and pressure ran through her insides.
As a new student at a new school, Violetta is embarking on an adventure marked by self-discovery and making new friends, all amidst the thrilling highs and lows of Colegio Menor’s exhausting high school experience.
The surroundings of Colegio Menor have an amazing energy, as a wave of new students live out their high school journey. For these newcomers, the transition can be hard but eye-opening, marked by both challenges and triumphs.
One of the first things our new students mentioned was the sheer size of the high school campus.
“Walking into this school felt like stepping into a different world,” Durañona, who has a brother in Grade 9, said. “I was nervous, confused but at the same time, full of excitement.”
The academic and social changes from a school in Mexico to a high school in Ecuador have been challenging and hard.
“I consider myself an extrovert, but coming here to Colegio Menor I felt really in the middle,” Durañona added.
Students find themselves in a weird and complex situation filled with diverse subjects and extracurricular activities that they might have never experienced before.
According to Ana Paula Santamaria, a high school counselor, the school provides certain methods of support to help students like Durañona.
“The best process is to first help them with buddies so they can learn how the school works,” Santamaria said. “Later, we observe them in and outside the classroom. Then, have a meeting with them individually.
“We try to keep following up with them, teachers, and friends and also keep in touch with parents,” she added. “All of this process is how we can observe if the change is having a positive or negative outcome.”
One remarkable aspect of high school life is the diversity of opportunities available outside the classroom. As Santamaria said, there is a standardized process for every new student and in that way and guidance is offered.
“We try to see not only what they tell us but also what we, teachers and parents and even students see around them,” Santamaria said. “If everything makes sense, it will be a successful case. Otherwise, we will keep trying to see what else we can do to support them.”
Hiding the truth in these types of circumstances can be very common; this is why a buddy, a person who is paired with and supports the new student, is remarkable for aiding the process.
“My goal was to make her (Durañona) feel safe in every aspect; not only socially, but academically too,” Sarah Davila said, a senior and dedicated buddy at Colegio Menor.
“She was nervous but excited at the same time,” added Davila. “She portrayed herself as someone charismatic and an observer.”
This transition to a new high school is not without its social challenges. New friendships are being developed, and for some, this process can be very intimidating.
“Being the ‘new kid’ can be tough because everyone has always something to say,” Durañona said. “I was worried they would talk about my eyes, my hair, my height, or even what I decided to wear.
“In my last school, I knew everybody and everybody knew me,” she added. “It can be hard, but luckily they received me very welcome and I felt very safe. Everybody received me in the best way.”
As new students continue to navigate the ups and downs of their high school journey and discover themselves, it is evident that they have already started to develop their paths and make their mark on our school community.
Their stories work as an example of adaptability towards a whole new world.
