By Arely ’24
Harvard-Westlake has about 1,620 students, and for me coming as a sole student from a school of 475, it was pretty daunting. It wasn’t a seamless transition at first, especially coming out of a pandemic, but let me assure you that Harvard-Westlake has so many other resources set out for you in order to ease the transition. One of these resources is the Fast-Start Program. It is a week-long program, generally the week before school starts. The program allows students to get a feel for school life and is about 3 hours long (from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm). This is a great way for new students to mingle with their peers before school starts. The school offers plenty of other chances to interact with and meet new people at school-organized events, however, these aren’t the only times you can meet new people.
The Harvard-Westlake community is very open and welcoming, so much so that you can make friends easily with people in your class, or by joining clubs or sports that suit your interests. Clubs and extracurriculars are another one of the things Harvard-Westlake is very diverse in. There are some clubs, like the Harry Potter Club, the Movie Club, or the Photography Club for instance, that helps to destress and just have fun. Others, like the Babel Magazine Club or the SLAM Poetry Club, are a bit serious in terms of commitment, but all offer the same environment of positivity and welcoming (Plus some offer community service hours!). The wonderful thing is that you get to meet new people with the same interests, not only from my own grade but from grades below or above you as well. In addition, Peer Support is a wonderful afterschool resource at the Upper School for those who really love interacting with new people. In a nutshell, Peer Support is an after-school club that allows students from all grade levels to mesh and socialize without any pressure.
With all of these incredible support outlets, I do not doubt that, should you choose Harvard-Westlake as your school, all of you will truly feel a part of the Wolverine family.
