Freshman Experience
Luke Scarpello: Branching Out
Posted February 5th, 2019
The transition from middle school to St. Augustine Prep has gone very well for me – especially under some stressful conditions. First of all, my family and I made the decision to attend the Prep very late in my 8th-grade summer. Also, the choice to enroll at St. Augustine Prep was made even harder due to the fact that my three siblings had all went to nearby Seneca High School. My sister and brothers had great academic, athletic, and social experiences there, and are all currently doing well in college. In addition, during my family’s time at Seneca, I got the chance to meet and become friends with many of the teachers, coaches, and students.
While it would have been very easy for me to go to the comfortable confines of Seneca, I realized I wanted to take a more challenging path in high school and St. Augustine Prep offered me that option. However, I have to admit that I was nervous when the time came for me to go to my first day of classes. For I was going to a place where I knew very little about the school, teachers, classes, etc… Plus, I realized the time, effort, and money my parents were putting into this endeavor. As a result, I prayed that I was going to adapt and like it here at St. Augustine.
Well, I can happily say that I really love it here at St. Augustine Prep, and I am so glad I made this decision. From the initial orientation and brotherhood ceremony, I felt right at home and knew this was the right choice.
The teachers here have made this transition very easy. I can already see that they genuinely want me to succeed, and they are already preparing me for college. I also love the fact that the school is all boys because I feel the teachers can provide more focused instruction in this environment. While each of my male and female teachers are unique, I believe they all have a common trait of caring for each student, and a shared goal of preparing us for college and life.
I personally have to work very hard in school to maintain my grades. Thankfully, the teachers are always available for extra help and support, and have made my transition process to high school very easy. Also, my St. Augustine Prep counselors have been very helpful to me. It has been such an advantage having our Unitas meetings so that we can check grades, work on ways to improve in the classroom, learn properly how to begin college preparation, and what it takes to get organized for that process. With my older sister and brothers, I saw how stressful this high school journey can be. However, I feel the entire administration at St. Augustine realizes this fact, and are going to continue to be very helpful and guide me along the way. I firmly believe that with the help of the great teachers, counselors, and coaches here at St. Augustine that I will be better prepared and successful in college and beyond.