It is the first day of a new school year at Southwest. Excitement and the pungent scent of perfume and cologne hang in the air as students greet their friends at their lockers. Fearful and anxious new students are roaming the halls of Southwest for the first time, but for Sophomore Maddie Barger, being at a new school is almost routine.

Maddie is only 16, and in her 16 years she has lived in 6 different states, including Kansas. Simply going to school is difficult for most teens, but Maddie has had to start over 6 different times.

“Its definitely hard especially now that I’m older. You’ll make friends and then you will just have to start completely over,” said Maddie.

Maddie was born in Seattle, and first moved to Alaska. Next she moved to California, then Ohio. After that she moved to Georgia, and now she lives here in Kansas. Maddie’s family has moved so much because of her dad’s job, which forces to them move regionally.

“Sometimes its difficult. I try not to resent my dad because its hard to move, and its frustrating,” said Maddie.

Moving so often because of a family member is tough. It has potential to cause conflict in a household, but not for Maddie’s family. When you feel alone after a move, family is always there for support.

“When you have no friends, you have a lot of family time. You learn to appreciate [family] in a different way.

One thing that Maddie has noticed about moving is the different extremes of what a community can be like. Moving to a school like Southwest is a huge challenge because it can be so different from other schools. Every school is unique for different reasons. Maddie went to a public school for the first time when she lived in Georgia this past year.

“When I went to a public school for the first time, it was like a culture shock,” says Maddie. “I wasn’t used to hearing people making dirty jokes or anything like that.”

Zach St. Clair, another student who is new to Southwest this year, also sees differences from where he went to school.

“My old school only had 300 students and was very small. Southwest is just so big,” said St. Clair.

With such a different school setting, it would be hard for anyone to change schools. One thing that makes a huge difference in adjusting is to be involved in school activities. Maddie plays soccer, which has helped her make friends throughout the years.

“[Playing soccer] has definitely helped a lot. That is where I have made most of my friends,” said Maddie.

Unfortunately, this year Maddie has been suffering from a soccer injury that has made the move more challenging for her.

“I tore my ACL, and that was something that I was freaking out about, because I didn’t know how I was going to make friends without playing soccer,” said Maddie.

Maddie has learned to make friends in new ways, such as in the classroom. Izabella Borowiak-Miller, a new friend of Maddie’s, has gotten to know her in class.

“Maddie is such a sweet person. She is so much fun to be around,” said Borowiak-Miller.

Borowiak-Miller also acknowledged how difficult it must be to move.

“It would be very challenging to move. I don’t know how Maddie has continued to move so much and be so positive, said Borowiak-Miller.

Meeting so many different people can be a positive aspect of moving, especially if you normally wouldn’t go out of your way to talk to people in the first place..

“Moving has taught me to go out of my comfort zone,” Maddie said.

Going out of your comfort zone can be rewarding, especially after you know a few people around school. Zach St. Clair learned this in his first few weeks at Southwest.

“They treated me like I was one of their close friends. [Referring to his friends in band] Everyone is so accepting of me,” said St. Clair. The Southwest community should feel proud that new students feel so welcome here. Its rare that new students feel comfortable with a new school environment in such a short amount of time.

All in all, Maddie feels content with her new home.

“I really like it here. And I’m not just saying that. Everyone is so nice,” says Maddie.