As a former student of Oak Valley Middle School for all three years, I am proud to say that I still hold my Oak Valley Pride. From the beginning of the 6th grade all the way to the end of 8th grade, I remember almost every single teacher I had and the impact they had on me. With being a member of the Track and Field team for all three years, I clearly remember Mr. Howe, Mr. Haren, Mr.
Shindorf, and Mrs. Jarvis. Each of these adults pushed me to do my best both in school and in sports. I even have Mr. Howe as my AP Government teacher this senior year. It was because of Mr.
Shindorf praising my basketball skills in gym class in eighth grade that pushed me to join the girl’s freshman basketball team in high school. Mr. Haren was also my physical education teacher and taught me to love both working out and eating healthy. Together, all of these athletic coaches made me into the athlete and overall person I am today. Outside of athletics, I remember Mrs. Edsall, who planted the seed that grew into my love for literature today, Mrs.
Lukes, who helped me excel in math to become the AP Calculus student I am today, and Mrs. Marshall, the wonderful woman who pushed me to excel in NJHS and has been behind my inspiration of community service and overall positivity in life. Without these teacher, I would not have had the unforgettable experiences that made my middle school life so amazing nor the incredible knowledge each of them placed inside my young mind. As a current student of Lakeland High School, I am a four year Track and Field athlete as well as a member of the National Honor Society, which came from my strong passion of Oak Valley’s NJHS program. Through NHS, I have had many more opportunities to reach out and help my community, whi. .
o these individuals and to help those who were pushed down. I still remember the school dance where a girl was getting bullied for coming to the dance in a dress, while everyone else wore their average clothes. I felt terrible for this poor girl and I knew that no one else was going to step up. I not only told an adult of what was going on, but I also went out of my way to comfort her and make her time at the dance something to remember in a positive way. Having this feeling of helping someone else helped spark my innovation to help others in my community to this very day. I can’t even imagine what it would have been to be at a different middle school, but I’m glad I never found out.
I knew from day one that Oak Valley is where I belonged, where I learned to believe, and where I became the person I am today. Thank you, Oak Valley, for making me the person I am today.
