Spread Your Wings and Fly Like a “South Lakes Seahawk”: An Experience in Which I Stepped Out of My Comfort Zone
On a winter evening seven years ago, I stepped forward to the large wooden podium with a gold emblem that read “Fairfax County Public Schools.” This was my last chance to persuade the school board not to redistrict my neighborhood, which would, in effect, move me from a high school with an excellent reputation to one not-so-highly regarded. The walls around me were dark gray and the tile floor was clouded with scuff marks from the soles of winter boots, and I pictured similarly dull days at an unfamiliar high school. I hoped I could reverse the board’s decision and remove the thousand-pound burden I gained the day I read the redistricting proposal in the Fairfax County Times. But the superintendent stared at me with pinched lips, folded arms, raised shoulders, and crossed legs as I spoke, and I knew he had already made up his mind.
On the ride home from the hearing, the clouds parted and a single ray of light shone through the car window. I wondered what this light meant—but I would only learn later. Upon first hearing the final verdict that I was assigned to attend South Lakes, I felt my childhood dream was over. But maybe, I thought, the ray of light might symbolize that South Lakes had something brilliant to offer.
My fellow classmates and neighbors who were in the same situation made no attempt to visit the new school, nor did they try to prevent the decision. They simply transferred back into the old school. Although I had tried to prevent the redistricting from happening, after much thought I decided I was open to meeting new students with different backgrounds. I did not want to hop on the bandwagon back to the old school without giving South Lakes a chance. Instead I toured the newly renovated orange and beige brick building. After viewing the school, my eyes were opened to a myriad of new choices. It was like going to my favorite candy store down the road and suddenly seeing an assortment of new candies. It turns out a variety of candy had always existed, but I choose to ignore it because I thought I only liked cherry-flavored licorice.
At South Lakes I expanded my horizons by prospering in many clubs, activities, and sports. I feel better prepared for the world due to South Lakes’ culturally diverse student body and International Baccalaureate Programme. This experience helped define me: I embraced the challenge to meet new people, became part of a new academic program, got involved in a new community, and faced the adversity of an “underdog school.” In my mind, that winter ray of light shining through the car window symbolizes myself taking a chance, defeating the odds, and exploring a new world—a world of new and different opportunities. I know that this experience has opened my mind, which will allow me to better meet the new challenges that lie ahead in my future.