REFLECTIONS from the Class of 2023

Siever McCullough ‘23

When I arrived at Good Shepherd in first grade, I’m pretty sure I could read, write my name, and maybe even tie my own shoes. What I couldn’t do was express what I was feeling to my teachers. So for a while, I just cried. I missed the people I had spent every day with at my old school. My teachers, Mrs. Roberts and Mrs. Neuschafer, taught me how to be in control of my emotions, and to take a minute if I felt overwhelmed.

Flash forward to seventh grade, when things got hard. Not only with academics but with relationships. Dealing with your peers during middle school can be tricky, trash talk is popular and has the result of many hurt feelings. When it happened to me, I was crying every day, but my advisor, Coach Roney, taught me one of the most important lessons; I don’t have to let what anyone says affect me. This lesson has taught me how to let comments go in one ear and out the other, and keep living my life.

Another lesson I learned, and this one is my favorite, is from Ms. Schmitt. Her words of wisdom are: “Ingesting radium is bad for you.”

As I prepare to head to high school, I realize what I love about Good Shepherd is the people.

WhenIwalkthroughthehalls,seeingthe smilesonmyteachers’faces,I’mreminded howmuchthesepeoplecareforme.

I know my teachers truly want to see me succeed, and for that I’m grateful. The laughter and tears I’ve shared with my classmates over the last eight years are moments I will never forget. From singing as loud as we can in chapel, to tears of joy after winning track championships, to sneaking into different advisories “seeing” what they have for breakfast, we’ve been through it all.

AsItakemyfinalstepsthroughtheGood Shepherdhalls,I’mgratefulfortheteachers whocaredenoughnotjusttoteachmehow towriteandadd,buthowtobecomfortable inmyownskin.

I’m thankful for my friends who really listen to me. This school has become a place where I can be myself, and has given me the tools and the confidence to succeed not only in high school, but also for the rest of my life. I also know, no matter where I go, Good Shepherd will always be my home.