Moving to a new school can be quite daunting, especially when moving to a school where your friends are not going with you. For senior Carolina Carranza, the pressure was intensified during COVID-19, which added additional anxiety over her transition from middle school to high school.

   “My confidence has definitely grown,” Carranza said. “I am no longer the shy little girl I was back in middle school, the one that didn’t talk all that much and interacted with new people.”  

   With all of the presentations and group discussions the school had her participate in, her confidence grew and she became more adept at going outside her comfort zone. Her starting class was only 47 people, so getting to know her peers and becoming comfortable with them was easier than going to her original campus.

   “You just kind of know everyone and start to not care much anymore about how others percieve you,” Carranza said.

   Getting out of one’s comfort zone can be very difficult, but the rewards are worth it. With the growth of her confidence, came the courage to apply to a school she likely wouldn’t have before; the University of Incarnate Word (UIW). While applying to UIW, she applied for its scholarships, many of which she received. UIW is just across the street from Carranza, and they offer a segway into the nursing program. 

   “I managed to get quite a few scholarships from UIW,” Carranza said. “ So, while it might be an expensive private university it won’t cost as much as it would have.”

   With everyone turning to a new page in their lives Carranza has been doing the same, preparing for post high school life. Starting something new can be both exciting and anxiety inducing, especially when you’re so used to a set schedule. But as much as it is scary, it offers new chances, possibilities that were never open beforehand. 

   “I have always wanted to travel,” Carranza said, “I want to go see views I haven’t seen before and just explore.”