R.P.

Rachael Pashturro

“In 2019, I had no idea if I would go to CHS or not. I was on the waitlist, so I never got the experience of being a winning student and touring the school in March of my eighth-grade year. Over the summer, I got in, and my parents just decided I was going; I’m so glad they made that decision. One of my first experiences at CHS [were] the forums. I remember we had a forum day, and Christia took us to a Methodist church. We walked in the woods, and some upperclassmen and I entered a shed that we weren’t supposed to be in. We played truth or dare and hot seat until Christia found us, and we had to do the walk of shame back. When we got back we all sat in a room full of couches and played games. It was a very fun experience that showed me what CHS was like. My favorite thing about CHS is how understanding the teachers are. When I had Matt Johnson for Introduction to Literature, I’d look at him and say, “Matt, I haven’t had breakfast. Can I run to Kerrytown and get a bagel?” and he’d say, “if you can get back here in under five minutes, I won’t mark you tardy.” This helped me make connections with my teachers which made me who I am today. I’ve grown a lot over the past four years on my own and with my friends, and a lot of my freshman-year experiences have helped shape me into who I am today. CHS has allowed me to grow to be more mature and independent and find my own people