By Dylan ’31
Hi! My name is Dylan, and I’m an 8th grader at Harvard-Westlake. When I started here last year, none of my friends from my old school came with me. I knew a grand total of zero people at Harvard-Westlake, which put me in a bit of a pickle. Now you might be thinking, “Woah, this sounds like a sad story,” but it’s not! If you’re nervous about starting somewhere new without knowing anyone, I want to show you that you really don’t have to be. It didn’t take long for Harvard-Westlake to feel like home, because the school gives everyone, especially new students, so many chances to make friends.
When you start, a few of the biggest ones will be club and affinity group time, retreats, advisory, and lunch.
Club and affinity group time is when you get to explore new activities with people who like the same stuff as you. Affinity groups are also a great place to learn about different identities and connect with people who share yours. Clubs helped me make friends when I was new, and they still do. One of my favorites is Sports Card Club, where we open card packs together, and we’ve even had some super cool special guests. Those experiences brought me a lot closer to the people in the club.
Retreats are another big one. Every grade has a retreat, so whether you’re starting in 7th, 8th, or 9th grade, you’ll get time to bond with your classmates outside of school. On my 7th grade retreat, we did a bunch of fun group activities, and my favorite was the day we went to the beach, played games, and went canoeing. It was just pure fun, and I came back knowing way more people in my grade. (I sadly missed the 8th grade retreat because I had a cold, but it sounded like a blast!)
In advisory, we do a broad range of things together, from short lessons to activities, which makes it really easy to get to know your classmates. My advisor has also been super helpful to me, and he’s a great person who makes advisory a lot of fun and who I can rely on if I need support.
Lunch is honestly one of my favorite parts of the day. It’s 75 minutes long, so there’s plenty of time to do whatever you’re in the mood for. You can eat with your friends, play catch on the field, or study with someone in the library. With so many options, it’s easy to find people to hang out with, and it’s a great time to get to know someone new.
A year ago, I walked onto campus knowing zero people. Now I can’t walk to class without saying hi to someone. When you start at Harvard-Westlake, don’t stress if you don’t know anyone yet. Take advantage of all the opportunities the school gives you, whether that’s joining a club that sounds fun, jumping into your retreat, getting to know your advisory, or sitting with someone new at lunch. Before you know it, Harvard-Westlake will feel like home.
