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STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS
*Last names are not published in accordance with Fulton County Schools policy. Katie wins 3rd Place in the Art, Essay and Poetry Contest sponsored by VOX ("The Voice of Our Generation" Atlanta citywide newspaper created by and about teenagers). The below essay was published in the May 2008 issue. It was the first day, at a new school, after the horrible car accident. It was a completely new situation, at the time when I felt my worst. With no other options, Independence was my new high school three months into my junior year. I was so used to the daily activities and schedules at Roswell High, I knew it was going to be hard to adjust to Independence 's routines. Physically and emotionally I felt like a complete stranger. On October 31 st , 2005 I was hit by a drunk driver, causing me to be seriously hurt and requiring a long recovery. Mainly the abrasions on my face were the issue, and thoughts ran through my mind all the time about what people would think of me and say about my face. Soon after the accident, after taking the necessary steps to enroll into Independence , my first day was on November 30 th 2005 . Before actually attending, I knew two people who currently attended Independence . They were Zach Campbell and Amber Davis, two of my closest friends; they introduced me to a lot of students and staff and helped me get my way around. When I first started at Independence it was still located in Roswell , which was closer to me than Roswell High School . There were far fewer students then, and I realized soon enough I knew everyone's names. But always in the back of my mind I thought I'm still the girl with the scar on her face. I began to acclimate well, learned gradually how things went and took place, and really enjoyed pretty much every aspect of it. I lost my new kid worries and began to join everyone in the blissful freedoms Independence offered. I am officially Independence . Independence use to be and still is a school that gives hope to those like me, who have encountered misfortune, and have no other alternatives. Everyone got along; everyone knew one another and had no complaints. Things truly went smoothly, and the atmosphere of the school was enjoyable. Due to the warming welcome I received from Independence back in 2005, I've learned to accept my scars and the fact they make me different, but not in the bad way I thought. Although Independence caused one of the most nerve wrecking periods in my life, by having to start a new school when I felt like an outcast, it opened me up to a new world. It allowed me to meet and accept different kinds of people, and accept change whether it was good or bad. It also inspired me, since the work is self paced, to push myself, made me want to complete my work and receive my course completions. This school has done so much for me emotionally and academically and helped me reach a level that I thought I would never get to. I was able to reach out and relate to my teachers better than any other school I had attended; also I was able to greatly raise my grade point average and my overall knowledge of the things I was learning. The story of my tepidness to attend Independence is the beginning of how my life changed for the overall good. For More Student Showcases, Click Here
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