My name is Tony Stahl and I am a new student at Charyl Stockwell Preparatory Academy. I was homeschooled for the last four years. The possibility of stepping foot onto an actual campus this year was extremely exciting. I enjoyed being homeschooled, but I always felt so alone. Having your family around is nice, but I wanted to meet some new people, make some new friends.

Welcome to the start of the school year. I understood that because of the current Covid-19 health concerns that my family would opt for me to be a virtual student.  My first thought was disappointment because I wanted to meet new people, and learning from home seemed like it would just put me in the same spot I was before; isolated. But honestly, I also didn’t feel comfortable being on campus with so many people either. I didn’t really know how to feel. Finally, I decided that I wasn’t going to let this year of 2020 stop me. I couldn’t let bad timing take away opportunities and even if I was going to be fully virtual, I was going to make it count.

I decided that I couldn’t let bad timing take away opportunities.

My family enrolled me in Charyl Stockwell Preparatory Academy shortly after the school year had begun. I was nervous, but confident that this was a good decision. Now, my biggest hurdle was finding a place to work. Space is limited in my house, especially since I share a room with my young siblings. The one place I could carve out for myself without disturbing anyone was the laundry room.

The morning of the 4th of October rose, and so did I, ready to take on the day. What is a normal routine of going to school for many felt unfamiliar and awkward.  It felt like a life-changing moment.  Even though I was mentally ready to begin my first class, my emotions were racing. How could I still feel like this? I knew logically that I was capable and that I was well prepared, and yet, I was still feeling stressed. Besides, wouldn’t it have been scarier walking onto a strange campus rather than just being virtual? I didn’t even have to leave my house.

At that moment I had to make a choice, move forward or don’t move at all. And I’m glad I did because in less than a month I have already achieved my goal of making some new friends. I am also proud to be a part of the CSPA community. This experience has taught me a valuable lesson. Sometimes you aren’t going to feel 100% ready to do something. Sometimes, you might not even be as prepared as you think. But that’s where bravery comes in. You must be brave to take on the things you are not sure of in order to achieve the things you are sure of.