Finding ways to adapt will, more likely than not, turn out to be your saving grace when you’re being pulled along by the dizzying momentum of life’s nonsense. In her first year teaching, Ms. Allison Janis, known by her students as Profe Janis, has been finding herself facing many new challenges and opportunities as she adapts to her new teaching role.

“I think I definitely have unique challenges because I’m still a student … I’m on a provisional certification, which they allow students to get. I mean, I did pass my content exam and I’m fully certified to teach,” Ms. Janis said. “So it’s strange, because I’m in practicum, as well, while I’m teaching. So, technically I’m teaching and student-teaching at the same time.”

Through all of this, Ms. Janis has continued to push forward and managed to find a school/work/life balance through self-care and communication with the people close to her.

“I try to take time to myself when I can, and set boundaries, like with my email and responding to [messages], and then just trying to do basic self care things like journaling and working out and spending time with friends… just taking time to be alone,” Ms. Janis said.

Finding the time for oneself is a well assured way to stay motivated and avoid getting too caught up in the things you can’t control. Senior Cameron Kelly, recently being faced with the looming shadow of college applications, has been finding himself in quite a bit of anticipation for what’s to come.

“There’s a lot of things that are associated with the school or the school district that I’m involved in, so once I’ve left the school district and moved on to college, I’m probably going to have to find new things,” Kelly said. “I’m going to involve myself in band, and that’ll probably take up a lot of time, but I’m probably going to have to actually work to find new friends, and new activities to be involved in because it’s a new slate.”

Fortunately, Kelly has found ways to stay optimistic, not entirely unlike Cooper Schmidt, who himself was recently plunged headlong into unknown territory, has found himself in one such situation not entirely unknown to the majority of the student body: navigating your freshman year. 

“Things have been challenging … and it’s brought on a lot more schoolwork and time made for more homework,” Schmidt said.

Thankfully, Schmidt is all smiles, constantly looking at the way things are already improved and how he could even be better adjusted to his new learning environment thanks to the help of teachers and peers.

“I thought talking to people or just meeting people would be super difficult, but it’s actually really easy. All the kids here are really nice,” Schmidt said.

Schmidt’s optimism is something many would take for granted, but to uphold such a lightness in the face of the unfamiliar is a gift, and Kelly, reflecting on his final season in FHC’s marching band, found himself wishing he’d remembered the words of advice that encouraged a similar awareness and the appreciation to be gained from being present.

“The really good [piece of advice] my band director gave at the beginning of the season was to cherish every single moment. And I did my best too, but at times it was kind of like, oh, this is just another band season or this is just another year in scouts,” Kelly said. “It wasn’t until that one moment, and then I kind of looked back on it all, and I was like, ‘Oh…this is my last season. I gotta take it in.’”