Entering Cherry Hill East as a freshman, I was prepared for the worst. I remember quite vividly walking into homeroom and not recognizing a single face. Coming from a small Catholic school on the west side of town, I quickly realized that very few faces would look familiar.

The few faces, though, that I was able to identify in the midst of crowded C-wing intersection were girls from East summer basketball and soccer preseason. Although these girls had been friends since a young age, I immediately felt welcomed into their group. As the years went on, we all grew closer and I can gladly say that these girls have been my best friends for the last four years.

Without all of the activities that East has to offer, it would have been much more difficult to make friends and develop myself as a well-rounded teenager. I have experienced a little piece of high school from many different angles: lacrosse, soccer, basketball, DECA, Habitat for Humanity, Blood Drive, Engineering Club, and more. And through all of these activities, I have learned important life lessons, made new friends, helped people in need, and discovered that I am not the best basketball player at Cherry Hill East.

You don’t need to join club after club and team after team, but you do need to get yourself involved because through all of the excitement and school spirit and even through the “high school drama,” I have made lifelong friends that will always be there for me just as I will be for them. I will always be grateful for my experiences at East, and thanks to the coaches, teachers, friends, and family, I can look forward to the future knowing that I am prepared for whatever the world throws my way.