Putting the

Alix Glickman ’23 Social Media Manager

Ihave always loved my name. e name Alexandra isn’t exactly original, but spelling Alix the French way, with an “i”, makes it stand out. ere is always the initial awkward moment on the rst day of school when I have to clarify how I spell my name during attendance, but it usually leads to interesting conversations with my teachers.

never really made a di erence verbally, but the di erence of the “i” nevertheless made me feel more like an individual.

As I have grown up I have learned to embrace the individuality that the ”i” in my name brings to other walks of life. Whether it is following my passion for dance, choosing classes that I am interested in or ders. I started going to sleep before midnight as I did not have to read old-timey English or prepare for an in-class essay, helping me sleep stress free. to embrace my individuality and pursue what I am interested in, I feel the most inspired.

Along with this, dropping the class did not stop me from achieving my college admissions goals, which is contrary to what most Staples students think, as I got admitted to my top choice college this past December.

Having two free periods not only gave me more free time outside of school, but it allowed me to connect with a new group of people in my free period.

Even though I initially felt poorly about my abilities after I accepted that I was not ready to take AP Literature, I now realize it was the best decision I made at Staples High School.

I have always loved dance, and I have been doing it since I was two. As I got older, my passion for dance only grew and I became more driven to dedicate my time to it. Going into high classonly roughout school, there has always been more than one person named Alex in my classes, but I was always the only one who was an Alix. With both of them being pronounced the same exact way, the spelling joining school activities that satisfy my interests, I have learned that it is always better to make decisions for yourself based on what most fullls you. It was easy at rst to follow what my friends were doing, but as I have gotten older I have realized that when I choose would be joining school sports that would foster a community both inside and outside of school that I was never quite able to foster. Outside gested I cut back on dance hours and nd something bigger at school to be a part of, but I always knew that dance was what I wanted to spend my time doing. ere were certain times when I contemplated what my life would be like if I had joined a school sport, but I never once regretted my decision to stick to dance because it allowed me not only to pursue what I love doing but to also nd my closest friends. al, but I know that following

As I embark on a new journey next year at college, I will be faced with adversities that will challenge my ability to become my own individual, but I know that following my own passions and staying true to myself will lead me to the most favorable outcome.