Advice From Juniors
We reached out to Union Grove High School Juniors to seek their advice for our soon to be freshmen. These juniors all attended Yorkville school “back in the day.”
Jaiden Pirk - Some teachers are harder than others. Get into Mrs. Ticha’s freshman biology class. Find better friends.
Alexandria Vos - Get Google classroom, the high school app, and Gmail on your phone; it’ll be a lifesaver in situations. Don’t follow with the wrong crowd right away, you’ll be labeled as a “delinquent” right away and your next 3 years will be a nightmare. Try to get more credits so you graduate and get out faster.
Austin Keeku - High school goes by so quickly, cherish all the moments you get; before you know it, you will be seniors walking across the stage to grab your diploma. Get involved in school, sports, events, and clubs. Being active within the school community will open so many new doors. It will give you a chance to meet new people and also find interests you never knew you had. If I could start my freshman year all over again, I would attend more school events and apply myself in more rigorous courses.
Matthew Howard - Make new friends. Find people who are genuinely good people and won’t treat you or others horribly. Do your work, please. Don’t fall into a bad habit of pushing it off constantly. Find friends fast.
Abby Veto - Join as many clubs or sports as you can to start building relationships. Standing in the middle of the hallways is not the move. Know that the teachers are here to help and you should absolutely talk to them if you have any questions.
Anna Yarrington - Focus on school, school does have a point. It prepares you for the future. If you actually focus and do your best you can be anything you want - a doctor, nurse, firefighter, EMT, welder, literally anything. Just do your best, there’s going to be hard days and weeks, but NEVER give up. If you're having any sort of problems with friends, family, work, school work, etc. talk to your counselors. They are here to help you and make your bad days better. They can make school a lot easier if you just trust them. Also, friends will come and go constantly, so that's another reason to just focus on your future self. If I could start my freshman year all over again, I would try harder and actually focus on myself and do my absolute best.
Bobby B - Don’t be cringy and don’t by shy. Don’t take it for granted, it flies by. Work harder at sports.
Brian Fonk - Make as many friends as you can. Take some AP classes cause it doesn’t matter what your class grades are, but if you study hard before exams, you can pass and get college credits. I’d make friends with tons of people and try to have fun all the time.
Quinn - Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you are lost in the hall and don’t know where your class is. Be nice to everyone, because you will be with these people for the next four years and you never know the friendships you could make that you never expected. If I could start my freshman year all over again, I would be more open to talking and hanging out with different and new people.
Hudson Dresen - Build a relationship with your teachers. Focus on your grades, especially if you are a student athlete (GPA matters). Worry more about grades.
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