A Five-Point Story: New Life Academy

03|05

So this is part three of my five-point story. This is the halfway point.

New Life Academy is a fairly large point in my story considering I spent ten years there and it is probably the most essential part in becoming who I am as a human today.

At this place I learned things not only academically, but also spiritually and emotionally. The biggest aspect I think I have learned throughout those years was community. Community is something so essential to every human on the planet and at New Life I was enveloped in it.

Of course, it wasn't all the awesomeness I give it now. My first year there was third grade. I "transferred" from Royal Oaks Elementary which I still call my "old stomping grounds" because I "owned" that playground. I went there against my parents better judgment, I never wanted to leave Royal Oaks.

My first year at New Life I hated. I would call it No Life Academy because supposedly the people there had no lives but I was in third grade so what did I know. I had to wear a uniform which included wearing a tie every Wednesday and for me dressing up was like the worst that could ever happen. It was very hard for me to make friends, all these new people whose name I had to learn in addition with learning multiplication and spelling. I remember at one point I was walking out of New Life and the kid in front of me said, "We are now leaving the danger zone..." or something like that, either way, it was scary.

I changed my opinion as I grew though, but it wasn't through some miraculous turn of events or anything, it just took time. I remember in fifth grade I still kinda hated New Life because I didn't want to sign some stupid covenant with the school saying I would obey all these rules. But still, over time, I made more and more friends and made memories that I can recall even today.

The same goes with community, it doesn't happen magically, it takes time. You slowly learn about one another through various social activities like school and sports. It was a forced community but I am fairly certain that without going to school everyday I would not have many friends. Maybe forcefully going to school is what rids our fear of meeting new people.

I mean, as I am typing this now I am watching my dorm neighbor, who I do not know to well, going back and forth bringing stuff to her car and back. Will I go help her? Probably not, because I am too scared that I will drop something of her or that she will deny me when I ask if she needs help. Rather, I am comfortable watching from afar, scared to enter my fear.

But back to New Life, over the years through and through I learned more about the people who I had gone to school with for the last couple of years. I went to their houses, their parties, their events. I became part of their life as well as they became part of mine.

I was in their story and they were in mine.

Of course, words cannot do justice to my emotions as I begin to explain everything that occurred in my life throughout my time spent at New Life Academy. This community though is what made me the person I am today. I learned life lessons through mistakes and wise words. I had more role models than I could possibly imagine. I was in a community that develops people to the core of their being.

All these stories and all these memories led me to begin to cry as I approached graduation. I would cry in my bed as I would imagine walking down the aisle in cap and gown, receiving my diploma, and then look at the teachers. I didn't want to leave.

I wanted just one more year.

The hardest moment for me was sitting in the balcony during our last chapel. Of course, by this time I didn't have to wear a tie anymore. By this time, I was wearing a sweatshirt. It was our last chapel of the year and I sat there as we started singing worship songs and everything just came to me and I started crying trying to hold back the tears. The sleeve of my sweatshirt got pretty wet from me trying to soak up the tears and my nose started to sniffle. It was too much to take in, too many things that I didn't resolve. It was a forceful end to the chapter of New Life Academy. In tears, in the balcony during the last chapel.

Of course, high school ended, college was beginning and that was kind of exciting. The community, however, stayed and still is going and now, it's not forceful. We go to different schools now but the community is still in place and we still take part in each-others stories.

This is part three in my five-point story. New Life Academy.