A fresh start

The caring and enthusiasm of the staff and students at Oakland Academy helped create an environment where I was able to thrive and solve a majority of my speech problems, and I progressed significantly in my ability to read and write. Instead of being bullied, I created lifelong friendships. I truly felt like the teachers and students really cared for me, and I’ll forever be grateful for those who made a huge impact on my life when I was in one of my darkest times.

The new and improved me found my way to West Middle School, where I ended up being reunited with some of my friends from early elementary and also was able to stay with some of my new friends from Oakland Academy.  Middle school generally isn’t the highlight for anybody: puberty kicks in, many students enter the braces phase, and romance enters the vocabulary. Despite all of these awkward moments and more, compared to the previous few years, I was still living my best life. That is, until heartbreak came around again, this time not at school, but at home.