Every year, Collegedale Academy welcomes several new faces. This new year brought 112 new students, including freshmen.  Some of these new faces were neighbors to the Collegedale area, others from out of state, and a few from out of the country.

Although CA is a wonderful place for new beginnings, being the “new kid” can be rough anywhere. Some challenges they must face here at CA come in the form of new teachers, different friends, and overwhelming schedules (or so they may seem at first).

However, despite the difficult circumstances, Collegedale Academy provides mitigation. For example, not many schools have teachers who truly care about the students they work with, but here at CA, that is not the case.

“The teachers here care about what they are doing,” junior Dion Sanders said.

Knowing that the teachers and staff are kind and ready to help can reassure a lot of new studentswho want to feel safe and comfortable in their new school.

Out of the 112 new students, 24 did not come from Collegedale Adventist Middle School. From that group of 24, five are international students.

Many of the new students came to CA for the Christian schooling and quality education.

Sophomore Misato Carey was homeschooled before attending CA and says, “I came here to gain a Christian education with an academic edge. Being in school with many other people makes for healthy competition, which inspires me to work harder.”

Bailey Graham, a senior who moved from Maryland to Collegedale is joined at CollegdaleAcademy by his cousin, a senior from North Carolina. We also have students who have transferred from Ooltewah High School, moved from Minnesota – even some who flew in from China.

Handling a move (big or small) will always come with its ups and downs. Because of those challenges, our job as the CA community is to make the new students feel welcome this year and every year. Next time you see an unfamiliar face, ask for the person’s name. Sit with him or her at lunch. Remember that starting over at a new school is not an easy ordeal.