Freshman Fears At PMA

By: Esteban Pinto

High school can be a scary chapter in a teenager’s life. A new school, new people, and a new environment can be intimidating. Yet, it is a change that everyone has to make in order to be successful. Phoenix Military Academy has enrolled  150 freshmen this year. Everyone has a familiar feeling of excitement, insecurity, and intimidation. To anyone the first day of high school can be really stressful. After four years, senior Humberto Cruz still remembers his first day of school every clearly.

“In the first day of school, I was scared because everything was new: new school, new people, a new environment. I was scared of teachers being too strict since it was a military school,” said Cruz.

Over the course of his four years in high school Cruz has managed to overcome his fears and has become a good student. He managed to overcome his fears by remembering that he was not the only student that had to adapt.

“I didn’t stress it too much. I just followed the routine and started talking to a lot of people,” said  Cruz.

Cruz’s biggest fear was the teachers being too strict but once he met his teachers he did not stress. He knew that if he did his work he would be fine. Cruz’s new friends also made his freshman year a much easier transition. Cruz did not feel alone since he created a friendship with many of the students. Some of the friendships Cruz created can only be defined as a brotherly bond.   

Unlike Cruz, senior Christopher Bentley had somewhat of a different experience in his first year of school. Bentley knew that we would need to leave his childish behavior behind him. Not only that, but he was afraid of being an outcast.

“When I first entered the doors of Phoenix Military Academy I thought to myself that I was going to be the outcast. Another fear was not fitting in with others or doing something dumb in front of the whole school that would embarrass me for the rest of my life,” said Bentley.

Bentley was worried what the other students might think of him if he made a mistake. He was also worried about  being rejected by other people. However, Bentley changed his mindset and only focused on being himself.

“I overcame my fears by just being myself and being true to who I really am, and by not letting no one else tell me who I am or how to act,” said senior Bentley.

Both Cruz and Bentley adjusted to the transition from elementary to high school. It was difficult but at the end of the day both Cruz and Bentley are happy seniors working hard so they can graduate.