By Magnolia Waller
Photo By Magnolia Waller
Students spend an average of 1,231 hours in school per year, according to research by Education Next (https://www.educationnext.org/time-for-school-assessing-inequality-access-instructional-
time-united-states/). A majority of the average teen’s life is spent in school, more so than at home. So what is it like spending 1,231 hours at Willow?
Every school will tell you the shiny things they have to offer: an exclusive club, an incredible sports team, great field trip opportunities, etc. But what you’re actually doing every day, the interactions you have with people you pass in the hallway, how your lunch break gets you through the day, and how each class exhausts or excites you—those moments (no matter how small) are what take up most of your life. What mundane moments make the day worthwhile?
To see if there is an answer to this, I asked three senior students at Willow, with a variety of interests, about what their day looks like.
After getting out of bed, rushing to school, and avoiding a late slip, your school day really starts with your first block. That treacherous first class can shape the rest of your day.
CA Media Arts and Biomed student Sophia Gonzalez starts her day with AP Environmental Science. “I love APES. Being into science, it really wakes me up, and I have some good friends in it, which is really the perfect mix.”
CAVA (CA Visual Arts) student Natalie Hennesey’s first class isn’t as exciting, but it is a “chill” way to start the day. “I have AP Psych first. We take notes. It gives me a moment to breathe at the start of the day.”
“First, I have Prob and Statistics. I look forward to that class because my friend always has a snack she’s willing to let me borrow,” Sophia Camargo-Ramirez, a PLTW Engineering student, explains.
Interesting classes, chill notes, and stolen snacks added up. These three students find their first blocks to be a good way to ease themselves into the day. But what in between academics really stands out? Moving through the crowded hallways can feel like a monotonous trudge to get through a flood of people on the way to that next long class.
On Ramirez’s way to class, she has a daily tradition. “On my way to Advisory, I always find my friend Ava outside her Advisory’s door, and I run up behind her and give her a hug.”
“Interacting with the Willow staff as I get from place to place always brightens my day,” says Hennesey, “especially when I have the chance to say hi to the custodians in the morning. They call me Honeybun. We always talk about how ready we are for the next break.”
What makes Willow different? How is your day affected by being here?
“Everyone’s weird over here, but that’s normal. Nobody really cares if you’re different,” Ramirez says, “Just look at who I eat lunch with every day. It’s a very diverse group. Because I know people who are into art, engineering, sports, media arts, biomed, and more. And that’s just who I eat with! So yeah, it’s a pretty good mix of people.”
