Comments on: Spring Reflections – Looking Back on WA

By: MarcoC

MarcoC — Thu, 07 May 2009 16:03:38 +0000

When I decided to postpone college and come to Worcester Academy for a Post-Graduate year I did not know what I was getting myself into. I have never attended a private school before, and had no idea if it was similar to public high school, what the classes were like, how much time I would have to dedicate to school, and where this year would let me go.
I remember move in day quite well. I was excited to meet all the people that I would be living with for the next year. As I walked up stairs with all of my boxes and my room key in hand, I opened up the hallway door and saw my room. Dexter 206, it had a piece of construction paper on the door that read “Cinti, Mclimans.” I opened the door and said “Hey, whats up” to my roommate. I was hopeful that we would get along the year.
Im happy to say this year has been great for me. Attending WA has gotten me acceptance into a great school/baseball program and I could not be happier. Although there were times I was wondering if I made the right move, I know now that I definitely did.

By: AntonO

AntonO — Tue, 05 May 2009 22:43:39 +0000

For me Worcester Academy has been both a stepping stone and a blanket of protection. WA has helped me succeed in high school and step onto the next point in my life, college. Hopefully better prepared than I would have had I attended public school. Knowing that for my family and me, WA is an opportunity, I was motivated to try and work hard in school. Worcester Academy has been an important part of my life, but I still consider it to be just a small step toward something I hope will be even greater in the future. College will be even more important, and so will my profession. As every “next” step, the previous seems even smaller and less important. And as hard as taking the step toward WA was at the beginning, stepping out, I look back and realize it was nothing compared to what the step into college will be like.
As for being a blanket of security, WA has certainly kept me out of trouble, and on the path I would have chosen for myself originally. I have seen my friends get in trouble, at times for things I don’t think they deserved for, but that’s not for me to judge. Whether it’s the people at WA or my understanding that WA is a privilege for me, it has kept me well on my path to what I hope to accomplish in the future.

By: ChristinaCerv

ChristinaCerv — Mon, 04 May 2009 22:55:29 +0000

I have been sitting by my computer trying to think about the memories I have had at Worcester Academy and how I only have one more year left. I couldn’t really pick one thing to say, which is shocking because I have already been at this school for six years. My iTunes is currently open and a song just came on that got me thinking it is, Some People Change by Kenny Chesney. The chorus goes “Here’s to the strong thanks to the brave, Don’t give up hope, some people change, Against all odds, against the grain, Love finds a way, some people change” The one thing that I will always remember are the friends I have gained. We have changed from children to adults together and that’s something I will cherish forever. We have grown strong, loyal, and intelligent with one another by our sides. M friends are my life and Worcester Academy has brought be to meet the most wonderful friends that I will keep all the way through my life.
Not only have my friends and I have grown together but also the teachers here have influenced my life greatly. The teachers here are so easy to talk to they are approachable and actually trying to help you out. Ms. Flynn has not only been a great teacher but also a friend to me.
Next year I am hoping to have fun like I have been doing. As I am thinking about it, I couldn’t see myself at any other high school, I just love WA. I mean we even have our own hymn! I have had way to memories at Worcester that I can fill about more then ten pages about. But I will leave you with this one song by Kenny Chesney called young that describes high school to me. “Man I don’t know, where the time goes. But it sure goes fast, just like that. We were wanna be rebels who didn’t have a clue. With our Rock n’ roll T-shirts, and our typically bad attitudes. Had no excuses for the things that we’d done. We were brave, we were crazy, we were mostly. Young”

By: AJ Germain

AJ Germain — Mon, 04 May 2009 14:01:33 +0000

I am on my sixth year at Worcester Academy. Overall it has been a good experience, but the Upper School is no doubt better than the Middle School. It is, because of more free time during the day obviously.
When I first entered WA in the sixth grade, I was nervous, because I left all my friends at my old school. At the time I didn’t think that everyone was in the same situation as me for some reason. I don’t know why I thought that, but it was easy to meet new people that I am still friends with today.
Now looking back on WA I have met some good people and interesting fun teachers. The thing I am going to remember the most is the hockey team. It was such a fun group to hang around with, because we were al so comfortable around each other.
Now about my teachers I have had in the past. Some of them have been hard and some easy, like every other school, but overall I have learned a lot from them. One of my favorite teachers would have to be Ms. Kastler, because even though her class is kind of easy for me, it is still fun because of the energy she brings to class.
At Worcester Academy, I have learned lessons that will stay with me for life. I have learned them through academics and sports. I have played hockey and golf. For hockey I have learned how to stay disciplined and to work hard. On the contrary in golf I have learned how to stay calm and collective, because if you are not those in golf, you will never play good.
One last thing about Worcester Academy I have always wondered is how they have such a nice campus in sort of a bad neighborhood. All the building are interesting and have a long history except for Rader, which was recently added. The most intriguing building would have to be Warner Theater, because of how it looks, inside and out. For the most part, Worcester Academy has given me great experiences that I will remember for the rest of my life.

By: Lindsay Yeoh

Lindsay Yeoh — Mon, 04 May 2009 09:31:13 +0000

My experience at Worcester Academy is and will remain as one of the most valuable parts of my life. I still remember the first day that I came to Worcester Academy all the way from Korea. Although I lived in Canada for a year and a half before I came to Worcester Academy and had already experienced what it is like to study abroad and be distanced from my family, it was still challenging for me to live on campus as a boarder because I constantly got homesick. Living with a roommate was a complete change in my life. Besides, it was a definite challenge for me to be able to deal with any kind of issues on my own. I learned how to be independent, instead of asking everyone around me for help whenever I needed it. However, when I was put in a situation where I felt that I wasn’t strong and mature enough to handle certain problems that came up to me, a lot of my friends were next to me trying to help me with anything that I wasn’t able to manage on my own. Hence, I believe that my friends at school are what make my experience at Worcester Academy campus so special. They always make me smile. Whenever I’m homesick, I always happen to think of my friends at Worcester Academy because I always care about them and even treat some of them as my family.
It’s not only my friends that make my WA life so special but also a plenty of opportunities given to everyone on campus. Worcester Academy offers a lot of extra curricular activities to students, such as sports and musical activities. Being a part of those activities, such as Field Hockey, Softball, Academy Singers, and musicals, I was given such amazing opportunities to be able to interact with the team members and experience new things everyday, and I hope to continue to take advantages of such activities that WA offers to students. Lastly, I thank Worcester Academy for having let me experience such great opportunities and the people in it for having allowed my experience at WA to last forever in my mind.

By: DennisW

DennisW — Mon, 04 May 2009 02:22:55 +0000

My most memorable experience while here at Worcester Academy was meeting all the people that I played sports with. It was easy to get along with these kids because we were interested in the same things. I am going to miss hanging out in the Student Center or on the quad when it’s nice out. In the fall a bunch of us would go out to New Balance Fields and be soccer hooligans for the boys and girls teams. I also already miss when my brother’s went to WA and all their friends would come say hi to me and be nice to me because I was the younger brother everyone loved, or so I think.
Worcester Academy is a place where you can be yourself and other people would join you most likely. The student center is a place where we can all hang out and talk to our friends about anything. A school like Worcester Academy isn’t a school where certain kids hang with certain kids, almost everyone is either friends with or knows everyone. Each grade is so small, unlike public schools where one grade has the same about of people as half of our school. This also makes it easier for the students to get to know the teachers as well. Which helps because it is much more comfortable to go see the teacher to talk about their work or even talk about something else in there life. Worcester Academy has made me the person I am today, from the people I have made friends with while I have been there, or the teachers and coaches that have taught me. If I stayed at my town’s high school I don’t think that I would be the same person. Especially because there is no hockey at my town’s high school and baseball is average.
Some things I won’t miss about the academy are the extra long assemblies in the gym, especially when it’s hot outside it makes it ever hotter in the gym. Also, the after school detentions and Saturday detentions, but everyone hates those. Some other things I won’t miss are getting yelled at because you forgot to shave, or your shirt is not tucked in, or your trying to stay warm in negative degree weather but your told to take your sweatshirt off. Then there’s the cafeteria where it is so crowded it’s impossible to move. WA has been seven great years and it made me who the person I am and will be for the future. I always see all the graduated students coming back onto campus and talking to old teachers and some student and when I was younger I used to wonder why they would come back to visit here and now that I’ve been here for so long that when I leave I am sure that I will want to come back at some point to see how my old teachers are doing.

By: Liz S

Liz S — Mon, 04 May 2009 01:45:42 +0000

My years at Worcester Academy have been memorable and life-changing. However, the people I have met through WA are what has made my experience here so great. I am so fortunate to go to a school where I can meet people from all over the world that I never would have met if it weren’t for WA. Being a part of this community has allowed me to make many friendships. Some have faded over time, but the friendships that have remained are the ones that I cherish.
WA has also taught me a lot about myself. I can hilight my strengths as well as my weaknesses. Looking back on my years from 6th grade onward, it makes me reflect on how much I have changed, as well as my classmates.
As for my senior year, I really have no idea what I expect it to be like. Every year, on the first day of school, I find myself wondering what the upcoming year will bring, and I never know what to expect. I do know, however, that I want to have an impact on the school in a positive way. How I will accomplish that, I’m not sure.
I guess what my experiences at WA have really come down to are the people. I had a great middle school experience, and a completely different and awesome high school experience because of the friendships I have made and the people that I have met. The teachers at WA are great and really care about the success of their students. The friendships I have made at WA have shaped who I am today, and have a huge impact on my life. For that, I can’t thank WA enough.

By: Samantha K

Samantha K — Sun, 03 May 2009 20:16:06 +0000

I’m sitting on the benches outside of the student center on a nice spring day watching my life play on around me like a movie and reminiscing about the past two years. Thinking about how on nice spring days the boys’ dorm blasts music from Dexter and people throw Frisbees on the quad. Middle schoolers coming back from gym class and the freshmen coming back from the gym after playing basketball all free period. Ms. Kastler and Mr. Liller walking past and laughing, with those very distinct laughs, coming back from their lunch date together. Seniors hanging out in the senior lot, which as the year has progressed, more and more spots have been left opened. People avoiding going through Dexter at all costs because their flip-flops are out of dress code and the possibility of seeing Ms. Gould or Ms. Lamir is too high. Others trying to get into the locked lunchroom to be first in line. Seniors in the student center wasting the entire lunch and their free periods playing Super-Strikers in the senior room. Seniors taking over the junior and sophomore couches.
People in class trying to convince the teachers to let them out early, especially if it’s the period before lunch or last period. Going to assembly and watching Mr. Elkins ride around on the things that hold the chairs. Seniors dismissed from assembly first but actually leaving last because they have to fold up their seats. The attempt to get to class as late as possible but still before the bell and/or knowing that within the first fifteen to twenty minutes you can get to class late and not be marked absent. Making brownie runs when you have Gov before lunch and listening to Mr. Dagenais say that “Chatham WILL fall this year.” Going to environmental science only to wait fifteen minutes for Mr. Carroll to show up with a quiz on some chapter that was never discussed. Getting donuts from Ms. Kastler when you have a morning test.
It’s funny, when I think about it; I’m going to miss this place and all the quirky little things that have made the last two years. I know that I will forever have my friends and teachers who have made this place but soon the little more unappreciated things will start to fade from my memory. Like the fact that Mr. Carroll gave WAY too much homework or the fact that creative writing was by far the best class. I’ll always remember hanging out in Ms. Kastler’s room discussing life and on certain days just hiding from the world. I’ll always remember winning the New England Class B Championships, but I might not remember how I used to literally stand in the middle of the field has practices and not move. I’ll always have my best friends and the crazy memories, pictures, and shirts we made over the past two years. And without those friends, all the little experiences would have never happened.
So yes, I am counting the days until Spree Day but at the same time, yes, I am hoping the days go by a little slower. Because there two years have passed by so quickly and I’m scared in an excited and sad way to break free of my comfort zone and start a new chapter where more memories can be gathered.

By: Caitlin Brosnihan

Caitlin Brosnihan — Sun, 03 May 2009 17:51:45 +0000

My Worcester Academy experience is an experience I will never forget. The friends and memories I have made here will be with me forever. When coming to Worcester as a sophomore, I admit I was a little intimated from all the buildings and activities going on, but they were soon to become the reasons why I love this place. As I was sitting on the quad with some of my closest friends this afternoon, I looked around and really noticed how beautiful our school is. I feel that at some times we take for granted Worcester and all it has to offer, even though we should be thankful everyday for what we have.
Although the campus is enough of a reason to love WA, the schools diversity and people are what makes WA a unique experience. Being able to meet kids from other countries and learn about their ways of life has been an amazing bonus to my education. I love knowing if I walk into the student center or library that a friend is always going to be there. I love being a part of superfans and cheering on our school, or playing and having the support of my fellow classmates. Some of my favorite times here have been in the classroom, whether it’s “the ring of fire” or charades in Spanish, here at WA I’ve enjoyed learning.
As I go into my senior year, I hope to continue to make memories that I will always remember. I feel that sometimes we overlook what we have in front of us and how lucky we are to be at Worcester Academy, but as I begin my final year here I hope to continue to take advantage of all the WA has to offer. The people, the activities, and the scenery are what truly make Worcester a special place for me.

By: BrianL

BrianL — Sun, 03 May 2009 16:24:58 +0000

My time at Worcester Academy has been rewarding and life changing. Worcester Academy has allowed me to brighten my future and expand my mind. When I am walking about on the WA campus I feel lucky. I feel lucky to have such a nice, aesthetically pleasing campus with great people and places. This is why when I hear people complaining about the school I realize that they do not know how good they have it. I went to public school in my town and rode the bus or walked to my brick, one building school. Things were not always the greatest at my school and certainly not as good as WA. When I went into Worcester Academy as a freshman I only knew a couple of kids that already went to the school. I expected to get the new kid treatment that I had always known. That is when everyone shuns you and certain kids make fun of you and you grin and bear it for the beginning. Worcester Academy was completely different. Because I was new people did not stay away from me, they went up to me and introduced themselves and made conversation. This blew my mind, as going into school on the first day and having so many people be nice to you was unheard of to me. This is just one way in which Worcester Academy enriched my life. WA is a safe environment to me where I am able to expand my education and make friends along the way. Through playing on great sports teams such as the 19 and 3 hockey team my sophomore year, and the soon to be 2009 Champion baseball team my junior year, I have had great experiences. From class competitions to spree day it has been a lot of fun along the way. I also think a great aspect of WA is the extra help teachers are willing to give. It is a new and great tool in school since coming to WA to be able to go see a teacher during their free time for help with a certain subject. It is just an example of the effort being put in to make Worcester Academy a great learning environment. Furthermore I just want to say thank you. Thanks to Worcester Academy and thanks to the people in it for giving me a great time while I have been here.