Dear freshmen, 

I hope your first months in high school have been treating you well. Whether you are a new student or you attended the Lower or Middle School, I’m sure you have gotten somewhat settled into high school by now. 

I’m sure that you’ve all heard the saying, “the world is your oyster.” As a freshman, Poly Prep is your oyster. You have a choice to start strong and end even stronger. Here at Poly, you can achieve anything you wish to do because you have the opportunity and the ability to do so. There are a plethora of faculty members here that will support and guide you in most things you do. It is up to you if you want to take advantage of the network of experienced teachers and staff. If you need help in a class, you can set up meetings with any teacher or you can visit the learning center and get mentored there. Poly offers peer tutoring, study sessions, and quiet workplaces for you to get work done. It would benefit a lot of you to make time for some of these extracurricular activities. 

It is hard to balance extracurriculars with your academics and social life, but it is possible when you enjoy what you’re doing. Trust me when I say that the more involved you are the more it will pay off for you in the end. Go outside of your comfort zone and participate in whatever your heart desires. It doesn’t matter if none of your friends want to do it with you. So far, we’ve had about six assemblies to talk about a variety of topics and programs at Poly. We also had a club fair where I hope you signed up for at least one club. My advice is to choose a club or program that you are interested in and stick with it. It’s going to be hard to find what works for you right away, but eventually, you will determine which programs to engage in and how many fit with your goals and values. 

Poly’s clubs cover a variety of interests—you can work on the yearbook, write for the newspaper, be a part of the Honor Council, join Affinity and Alliance groups, and so much more. And of course, you can even create your own club. Think about things you want to accomplish with your time at Poly and set goals for yourself. 

Additionally, it’s important to determine what you value so you can be involved in things you are passionate about. For example, if you value making the world a more sustainable place, you can participate in the numerous service trips and sustainability club initiatives throughout the school year and summer. I participated in a summer service-learning program through Mr. Sivin where we visited and volunteered for The Brooklyn Navy Yard and Grange, One Love Community Fridge, Billion Oyster Project, Earth Matter, Sure We Can, Harlem Grown, and the Battery. The week was a very rewarding experience because of how much I learned about reducing waste and giving back to people and our planet. I loved being able to see the benefits of my actions and understand how the tasks I completed over the week made a positive contribution to the NYC environment and communities.

High school is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and believe me when I say it flies by. So enjoy yourself! Utilize your time and explore your genuine interests. Take advantage of the many resources available on campus. At the start of high school, I discovered I wasn’t very passionate about anything. Looking back on my time here, I’ve learned a lot about myself and where I excel, helping me greatly in the demanding college process. With my advice, I hope many will be able to do the same.