My lack of friends made sixth grade a tough year for me. Kellie was in my class, but Jenny was not. I hung out with Kellie and her friends more that year, but never really had many friends of my own. I started hanging out with Emily Parkhurst that year, but it was several more years before we really got to be close. My sixth grade teacher had a big impact on my life. I was having a lot of personal issues that she helped me survive. She has been one of the most influential people in my life and I am still in touch with her today.
By the time sixth grade ended, I was dreading the start of middle school. I wasn’t very close with either Kellie or Jenny – I considered them more as acquaintances than friends. October of that year turned up one of the biggest blessings of my life. Another student, Kim Johnson, was transferred into my math class. The only available seat was the one next to me. I knew Kim by face, but not by name. She hung out with several girls I considered to be snobs, so I naturally assumed she would be the same. I could not have been more wrong. Kim turned out to be a wonderful person – the saving grace I had been hoping to arrive for so long. Kim recalls: “I saw a girl in my classes who looked friendly and who I knew I wanted to meet and get to know. Thankfully she turned out to be an awesome friend and one of very few that I am in contact with after nine years.” I spent a lot of time with Kim that year, as well as her childhood friend Amy. We were finally allowed out on our own during the day and we went to a lot of movies together. Kim made seventh grade one of the best years of my life. She agrees: “So, you gave me relief. You showed me that we could still have fun as ‘girlfriends.’”
Coming off the high from seventh grade, I found eighth grade to be a nightmare. I went through a variety of personal battles that year with few people to turn to in my life. Mom recalls: "You were very caring and treated very unfairly by most of your peers." Even though I’d formed a bond with Kim the previous year, I didn’t feel comfortable talking to her about them. I didn’t really have anyone I felt would really understand what I was going through. Once again, I found myself alone. Heather recalls our communication during that time: “I remember you trying to be happy but ending up pretty upset. The letters you wrote hinted that something was going on that was making you sad.” Things picked up for me second semester when my schedule changed and I had more classes with my friends. That year ended much better than it began.
I had mixed feelings about entering high school. Middle school had been so horrible, I couldn’t imagine high school being much different. Mom felt the same way: "I hoped it would be a better experience for you than middle school." Dad agreed: "I was glad when you went to high school because I knew how difficult it was for you to get along with others in middle school. We felt high school could only be better for you." Luckily I saw a familiar face in a lot of my classes – Emily Parkhurst from sixth grade orchestra. She remembered me, too, and we began hanging out a lot. I introduced her to Kim and the three of us became best friends. With the love of my new best friends, I had a mostly-fabulous high school experience. We had a lot of common obsessions, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Titanic, Ben Affleck, and Harry Potter. The three of us saw each other through broken hearts, deaths, and drivers ed. We spent senior year spring break together in the Dominican Republic for eight awesome days. I graduated from high school on June 4, 2000, in the top ten of my class. My dad was very proud: "I had no doubt you would be a Top Ten student!" My two girls made high school a wonderful time in my life.
Like most students, I had a part time job in high school. I began working at my local library in December of 1997, my sophomore year, and stayed there until I left for college in August 2000. My first job was a wonderful experience. I had a close relationship with each staff member and was heart-broken to leave. I got a farewell bouquet on my last night, which I still have in my bedroom at home. (I also spent several hours that night in tears.) I continue to stop by the library and catch up with the staff whenever I’m home. No other job I’ve had has ever been able to compare with my two and a half years at the library.
