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Curran Nielsen

STUDY BUDDIES: Freshman Cameron Fetter laughs as freshman Dominic Gallupo tells him a joke and freshman Daniel Fillet does his homework. "Just knowing that I have good friends who will always be there for me inspires me to get through the day with enthusiasm," Fetter said.

For some freshmen, high school can be scary. Thrown into a new school environment surrounded by new people, it might feel like being at the bottom of a food chain. However, many freshmen at Mater Dei say otherwise.

“Mostly everyone is very social and it’s not hard to make new friends,” freshman Alex Lopez said. “You just talk and you got a new friend in less than a minute.”

Although some Mater Dei freshman students say they haven’t found it difficult to fit into the community, they are faced with other challenges such as understanding the rotating red and gray day block schedules and familiarizing themselves with the large school campus.

“It was a little overwhelming at first, but then I got more used to it,” freshman Kate O’Hara said. “I have tried my best to memorize my schedule and where all of my classes are.”

The school also makes an effort to welcome freshmen, as well as transfer students, with various events including the Freshmen and Student Day of Welcome, the Freshmen Dance and summer school.

“I really like all the opportunities here and like everything that they offer here at Mater Dei,” freshman Jocelyn Ayala said.

By attending summer school, freshmen are given time to acclimate to their new surroundings. The school offers summer camps for athletics, performing arts, robotics and forensics, among other topics. During these camps, students have time and interact with their future classmates, program directors, and coaches, while learning their way around the school’s campus and facilities.

For example, Lopez said that one “fun” experience he’s had at school so far was attending this past summer’s baseball camp before he started the year as a freshman.

In addition, many freshmen are able to quickly become involved in the school by participating in student life. With 23 sports and 82 clubs on campus, the school offers a wide variety of opportunities for all, especially new students.

“I really like the choices and varieties of sports and clubs that you can choose from to get involved in,” freshman Rachel Nguyen said.