When I opened the front doors to Heritage High School and walked into the hallways on the first day of school, I felt like an alien. Every teacher, every student, every poster on the wall; all of it was foreign to me. I wandered through the crowded hallway, watching the other students laugh and  reunite with their friends after a long summer. I was in a crowd, but I still felt so alone.

    I moved to Texas from Orange County, California, two weeks before the first day of school. Upon coming here, I immediately realized that Texas might as well be another planet rather than just another state. The weather is different, the slang is different, people’s sense of humor is different, everything is just so different. This was terrifying, even intimidating at first. I was nervous to walk into class and not see any familiar faces, and I was worried I wouldn’t fit in or make a good impression. Although a whole class of freshmen were just as new as I was, they had friends and connections from past years, whereas I had no one.

    I had already prepared for my first day of school to be a trainwreck, a day filled with awkward small talk and sitting alone at lunch. I had already given up on this school before I gave it a chance. That’s when I met another new student through the advisory period Coyote Plus: junior Connor Lenox. His perspective on being a new student was totally different than mine, and was arguably a more healthy one.

    “I didn’t really have any [fears for the first day of school],” Lenox said. “[It turned out] really, really well. I really like the school, the people are nice, and I’ve made a lot of new friends.”

    After talking with Lenox about my concerns and seeing his point of view, I started to view Heritage in a different light. The people were very welcoming and accepting. I did make a lot of friends within the first few days. To feel even more welcome, I spoke with principal Mark Mimms to see how the school accommodates new students.

    “One of the first things we do [to accommodate new students] is give a tour of the building,” Mimms said. “We also try to set the student up with another student, called an ambassador.”

    It felt comforting to know that this school had specific policies put in place to help me feel at home. Since my first day, I have involved myself in multiple groups and athletics, and I am slowly starting to find my way. It may not be exactly like California, but I’m very excited to see where my journey as a Coyote takes me.